Divine Madness
by Harmne
Summary: Steph asks for help with a very different sort of problem. Babefic. Not part of the Agreement series.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I had this idea this morning, and I was hoping to get it posted as a general Valentine for the Babes, but I couldn't get it finished. I'll hurry, I promise!**_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, I just like to play with them. Especially Ranger._

If there's a female equivalent of blue balls, I've got it.

It's been nearly six months since I've had sex, and it's getting to me. I couldn't remember the last time I'd gone so long -- unless maybe right after my divorce. But since I'd been doing okay at my job, my social life had gone downhill. Maybe it's like that saying about gambling, lucky at cards (or in my case, catching skips), unlucky at love.

Six months ago, Ranger got a call and went 'in the wind' for three months. Tank and the other Merry Men were around and always offered their help if needed, but I missed seeing Ranger. I also couldn't keep from worrying about him. I knew Tank would tell me if something bad happened, but I guess this trip was one of those where Ranger couldn't check in, and not hearing anything from him, even second-hand, had me on edge.

Maybe that somehow contributed to the final demise of my relationship with Joe, but I doubt it.

At the time I'd been pretty tight with Joe Morelli, and spent several nights a week at his house. Joe was always up for sex, and it was nearly always great. But we never could agree on some important things like my job, marriage, children, and my friends – sometime specifically Ranger - so our relationship was always a series of ups and downs.

It didn't end in a blaze of anger, the way I'd sometimes imagined it might. No, it was a quiet, sorrowful talk.

Joe had been a little withdrawn for a week or so. I hadn't thought much of it, he got that way sometimes when a case was bothering him, and unless it concerned me he didn't share his work with me. So when he muted the TV and turned to me it took me completely off guard. He'd been doing some serious thinking, he said, and he'd come to some unhappy realizations.

He loved me, and he knew I loved him. He knew that - I'd even finally been able to say the words. But he'd seen me fall apart when Ranger was shot and he realized my feelings for Ranger were much deeper than he'd imagined. He'd tried to dismiss it when I seemed to be back to normal the next few days but it hung in the back of his mind. It had prompted him to do some soul searching and he'd realized a few things.

He loved me, and the sex was great, but he was ready to settle down. He wanted a stable relationship and children. He admitted he couldn't see me wanting the same thing any time soon, if ever. He realized he would still care for me even if he married someone else - even if I was _with_ someone else - and although it would hurt at first maybe it would be best if we just let ideas of a future together go and just be friends.

It hurt. Oh, god, it hurt, but I couldn't argue with anything he said. It was all true. I wasn't ready to marry again - honestly, the idea gave me panic attacks - and I wasn't sure I'd ever want to have children. I knew I didn't want them _now_. So, Joe and I kissed goodbye, and we went our separate ways. Joe was still friendly and showed up to check on me the few times I've run into trouble since then, but he's also dated several women. So far I don't think any of them have lasted past a couple of dates, but I wish him luck. He's a good guy and he deserves to be happy.

Ranger came back a few weeks after the split. He even called me to let me know he was back and okay. He'd never let me know personally before but evidently Tank told him I had worried. The conversation was Ranger-short but I appreciated the effort. Since then I've run into him a few times at the office or the cop shop and we spoke in passing, but that was about it until he called me this morning asking if I could do a distraction job for RangeMan.

I'd agreed, of course. I never turned down jobs for Ranger, even when they scared me.

Now I was re-thinking my decision.

It was late, and here I was at one of the nicer bars in downtown Trenton, wearing the requisite little black sexy dress, dancing with a skip that was good looking but faced major jail time for some serious white-collar crimes. I would probably have been okay if he was ugly or smelled bad, but as it is I've got problems.

The dress is halter-style with a wrap front that shows lots of cleavage, made of thin silk that makes the short, full skirt nice and swishy. I actually don't remember buying it (I found it last week while searching my closet for something else) but I liked it and everything was fine until Ranger started to wire me. I seriously underestimated the effect of his fingers brushing my breast in my current 'condition'. The dress didn't allow for a bra and the thin silk of the dress did nothing to hide the effect Ranger's hands have on me. Luckily, most of Ranger's concentration was on Tank as they worked out a few last-minute kinks in the take-down plan, and he didn't seem to notice.

Unfortunately, once my hormone switch turned 'on', I couldn't get it to turn back off. The guys, as usual, made a few complementary but slightly-lewd comments as I waited for my signal to go in, and the slow throb of want started up down low.

My condition may have made it easier to get the skip, because my jelly-bean impression got his attention as soon as I went in. The guy was a charmer and actually did most of the work for me, coming to me and chatting me up. But he was also not the kind to rush things and wanted to buy me drinks and dance. He also knew how to use touch to arouse without being obviously handsy, and the silk wasn't much of a barrier. So I was slow dancing, held close to a nice body that smelled good, with enough alcohol in my system to make me warm and relaxed. My body was enjoying it way too much. By the time I got the skip out the back door I was aching.

As soon as the guys grabbed him I took a few steps backward and turned away, pulling the tape and wire out from under my breast before I even turned it off. I turned back around, hugging myself slightly, to find Ranger watching me.

"You okay, babe?" he asked quietly as he reached me. I just nodded and handed him the wire.

"I'm a little chilly. From the air conditioning, I guess," I said, hoping I sounded normal.

Ranger slipped off the thin windbreaker he wore to cover his gun and pulled it around me. I wrapped it over my chest gratefully but Ranger must have caught my slight shiver. He frowned slightly and stepped closer, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

Ranger's hands on me _anywhere_ was so not-helping my situation.

I must have shivered or something because he pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me, tucking me in close to his body. I automatically put my arms around his waist and his warmth and scent enveloped me, tempting me. I nearly moaned. Great, now I was wet, too. The urge to rub myself against that hard body was almost irresistible. I got a grip on myself and pulled back slightly

"I think I just need to go home. Can someone drop me off?" I mentally crossed my fingers. Usually on distraction jobs I just waited around until Ranger was done, and he took me home. Sometimes he'd walk me up, and sometimes he'd drop me off at the door - and sometimes he kissed me. I'm not sure I could handle a kiss without climbing his body right now. So I hoped that he'd have Tank or Hal drive me home.

No such luck. Of course.

I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I just give Ranger an invitation? He'd always made it clear that he was an opportunist and would take advantage of any chance to get back in my bed. I might have considered that if I hadn't been so freaked about my lack of control that I couldn't think straight.

"I'll take you. Come on." He caught Tank's eye and did some hand sign I'd never seen him do before. Tank nodded and turned back to getting the skip secured, and Ranger led me to the Turbo.

I leaned back and closed my eyes as soon as I got buckled in, but I felt Ranger glancing over at me more than once on the drive. Just before we reached my building he spoke.

"What's wrong, Steph?"

I didn't answer, mostly because I had no idea what to say.

A moment later Ranger tried again, and his voice sounded different...more controlled.

"Did he do something, Steph? Did he touch you?"

Little warning bells went off in my brain. I couldn't just ignore this question. Someone might 'accidentally' damage the skip if Ranger thought he'd hurt me.

"No," I said quickly, looking out the window to see we'd reached my lot. "Nothing like that."

As soon as we glided to a stop I had the seatbelt off and I managed to leave his jacket on the seat as I hopped out of the car. "Thanks for the ride, I'll see you later," I said quickly, and made for the back door. The elevator was right there waiting, and the doors were sliding shut as Ranger stepped into the lobby.

_TBC..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Not my characters, but I hope they're having fun…_

Chapter 2

Alone for the first time in hours I sagged against the elevator wall, my hands briefly cupping my aching breasts before crossing my arms over them protectively. I let my head drop and wondered if I could possibly embarrass myself any more tonight. I was so rattled, wondering what to say if Ranger was waiting for me, that I practically leaped out of the elevator when the doors opened on an empty hall.

I was halfway down the hall and the elevator had already gone when I realized I'd hit the button for the third floor by mistake.

I just stood there for several minutes, my mind blank and my feet aching from too much dancing in too high of heels. Then it occurred to me that this might actually work out for the best. Ranger might have gone to my apartment, but what were the chances he'd look for me up here when he found I wasn't home?

Slipping my shoes off, I crept to the shadowy end of the hall and leaned myself in the corner. The carpet wasn't particularly clean here but at least it didn't smell, and I wiggled my toes to ease the aches while I waited.

After fifteen long minutes passed without Ranger appearing, I figured it was safe to go home. I was a little surprised my cell hadn't rung until I fished in my little bag for my keys and realized it was still on the charger in my bedroom.

I took the stairs down, carrying my shoes with my key ready in the other hand. My problem hadn't subsided and the lacy little boy-cut panties were now damp enough to be uncomfortable. I peeked around the door to check the hall before I stepped out of the stairwell, releasing a held breath when I found it empty. It was after two am by now; Ranger had probably given up and gone back to the Batcave. I assume even Batman has to sleep sometime, and his mornings tended to start early.

No man-shaped shadows lurked in my entry or kitchen or lounged on my couch. My apartment was dark and still, just the way I'd left it. There were times like this that I still caught myself listening for Rex's wheel. I missed my little buddy, but I couldn't bring myself to get a new pet just yet.

Just as I turned the deadbolt, arms came around me from behind without warning. Even knowing it had to be Ranger I still nearly came out of my skin, and was only partially successful in muffling my shriek. I heard two soft thuds as my shoes landed on the carpet somewhere in the living room.

"Easy, babe. It's only me." Without letting go he turned me to face him and hauled me in close, one warm hand splayed across the bare skin of my back. "Want to tell me why we're playing hide-n-seek in the dark?"

There was a trace of amusement in his voice. Between that and the adrenaline rush he'd just given me, I found a brief flash of courage. I looked up to give him a piece of my mind and realized his face was right there. Without thought I rose to my tiptoes, pressing myself against him, and took his mouth.

For a fraction of a second he went rigid with surprise. Then his arms nearly crushed me as his mouth took mine. For perhaps the first time I kissed him back with an equal hunger, and the rush of heat nearly set me on fire.

My back hit the door and his hands slid up my ribcage, his thumbs finding and rubbing my jelly-bean nipples though the thin silk, making me moan. Then one hand shifted, sliding up under my skirt to cup one butt cheek, the tips of his fingers brushing the damp lace between my legs. A shudder ran through him even as his hands tightened and I arched against him, feeling him harden against me. He broke the kiss with an indrawn breath, almost a gasp.

"_Dios_, Steph! What's gotten into you?" he exclaimed against my lips.

_Nothing, for far too long, _I thought.

He stiffened and I realized I'd muttered the words aloud.

He drew back slightly. "Is this an invitation?" He sounded almost stunned.

"_Yes_," I whispered, shifting against him.

He kissed me hard and deep, his hips pinning me to the door, the hard length of him so close, so close. One hand slid down, cupping the heat between my legs. I arched against him, felt the wet rush of heat, and heard him swear.

"…timing fucking _sucks_," was all I caught. His fingers tightened and I cried out. He growled and yanked his hand away, leaving me stranded on the edge one shaky breath from release. I felt him lift me and turn, felt the chill of the wall on my back. "God damn it Stephanie! It's nearly three and I have clients due at seven. Four hours isn't _nearly_ enough." His hands gripped my face and held me for one last searing kiss. "Tonight. I'll pick you up at seven."

And he was gone, shutting the door firmly behind him, leaving me propped against the wall aching with need and wondering what in the hell I'd just done.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Not my characters, but I sure have fun with them!_

_**A/N: Sorry for making you wait…I hope this was worth it.**_

Chapter 3

I'd just invited Ranger back into my bed.

My legs gave out and I slid down the wall, gasping when my butt hit the chill of the tile. For the first time all night the ache of desire receded – to be replaced by panic. An all-out war broke out between my body and my brain.

_**What were you thinking?**_

_I wasn't – I was feeling._

_**He doesn't really want you.**_

_His body says differently._

_**He won't stay with you.**_

I felt that blow like a jab to the heart. It was true; how many times has he warned me that he didn't do relationships? But I know he cares for me in some way. He's always been there for me when I needed him and he's never let me down. I forced myself up off the floor and headed toward my bedroom, the war still raging.

_**You'll regret it. Remember last time?**_

Oh, god, did I ever remember. I shivered as the memory of that night rolled through me, reminding me of the things he'd done to my body. It had taken a long time to get over it and be happy with Joe again. Ranger had told Joyce once that he'd ruin me for all other men – and he'd come close

I have to leave, run away…It was perhaps no surprise that I found myself in front of the window that led to the fire escape just then. Maybe my body agreed with my brain about this.

Then I noticed the Turbo was still in the lot.

Too late.

I felt a familiar prickle and knew Ranger was in the bedroom behind me.

"I could un-invite you."

"That only works on vampires." There was a faint trace of humor in his voice, but he hadn't come closer. I turned to face him, letting my eyes enjoy the way he looked leaning on the doorframe. He wasn't dressed as an urban commando tonight; he'd dressed to fit in at the bar, to be my back-up inside if things didn't go as planned. He looked like GQ with a gun, and his slacks betrayed his body nearly as much as my dress had betrayed mine.

"What about your clients?"

"I called. Tank will take care of them."

I couldn't think of anything else to say. After a moment Ranger stepped close, one hand reaching out to touch my face, turning it up to his.

"Have you changed your mind?" he asked softly.

I knew everything depended on my answer. If I said yes he would leave – and I might lose this chance forever. I wouldn't have the courage to try again, and it would damage us. I couldn't live with that.

I took a shaky breath, and my answer came out half-whisper, half-sob. "_No_."

He drew me into his arms, moving slowly as if he didn't want to frighten me. I put my arms around his neck and leaned into him, and felt something in him relax.

His first kiss was gentle. Then he groaned and his arms tightened and the next kiss started a slow burn. The need that had died back rekindled quickly and I arched against him, once again desperate. His mouth never left mine, even as I felt him slip out of his shoulder holster one arm at a time, and I heard gun and all hit the floor by the bed. Then his hands slid low, cupped my butt and pulled me in tight against him, and I could feel him so hard against me... I think that was the last straw that pushed me completely out of my mind.

_Bed_! We were **one foot** away from my bed – my sheets were even clean – and we were still standing. I was _ready_; I'd _been_ ready most of the night, and I was done waiting. I slipped one foot between Ranger's, planted my heel in the carpet, slid my palms down to his chest, and pushed as hard as I could.

I caught him completely off guard. He tripped and fell backward, landing with a bounce in the middle of my bed. I ripped off his shoes and got a hold of his socks before he got over his shock, and by then he was laughing.

"_Enough_ foreplay already!" I crossed my arms in front of me, grabbed the dress just below the stretchy waist, and yanked it off over my head to stand in just my panties and heels.

The laughter stopped.

I felt his eyes move over me as if he was actually touching me, making my nipples tighten.

"Babe," his voice had gone all husky, but even in the dim light from the parking lot I could see the look on his face.

I pulled one foot out of its shoe and flicked it away, then put my weight on that foot and waited. Ranger's lips quirked up at the corners, but he tugged his polo shirt over his head and sent it sailing over the end of the bed. His hands went to his belt buckle then he stopped, waiting.

I sent the other shoe after the first.

He pulled the leather through the buckle as slowly as a Chippendale's headliner, keeping my attention riveted as he worked the buckle open, then pulled the button free and slowly slid the zipper down. By the time he hooked his thumbs in his waistband and started pushing the slacks down his hips, the tops of my thighs were wet, and I was reaching forward to help.

Faster than a cat, he grabbed me and flipped, and I found myself pinned beneath him on the bed. I didn't even have time to gasp.

"In a hurry, Babe?" he asked, and slipped his hand into the lace between my legs, letting out a groan when he found me soaking. Two fingers slid deep and I came, immediately and hard, bucking up against his hand, biting my lip to keep from screaming.

"_Stephanie--! Dios_, Babe," he breathed. "_Si, largar_…That's it, just let go." He kissed the corner of my mouth, his tongue teasing its way inside and caressing the lip I'd bitten before taking it deeper, and his fingers began a slow rhythmic stroke. I moved against him helplessly and in a matter of moments I was on the edge again, tearing free of the kiss and pressing my face into his shoulder to muffle my cry.

He pulled his fingers free and I made a sound of protest. Not yet!

"These need to come off, baby," he crooned as he tugged the ruined lace down my legs.

Understanding, I fumbled for the nightstand drawer and managed to knock the clock to the floor. Chuckling softly, Ranger found the stash of condoms himself, and then he was there, where I wanted him, sliding deep…so hard… Oh, _god_…

I lost track of things after that. I remember flashes – fisting my hands in the sheets, and then in his hair; digging my fingers into his shoulders, his back. Feeling him press openmouthed kisses over every inch of my skin, and gently kiss tears from my cheeks.

s+r

I woke, curled against Ranger's chest, when his arms tightened around me. It took a minute to register the faint beeping of his watch alarm, and by then he'd gotten it turned off. I felt his sigh, felt him turn his face into my hair and one hand come up to tangle in it. I turned my head enough to kiss his chest.

"Its morning, _amante_, and I have to get going…" he groaned softly and his arms hugged me tighter, "--in a few minutes." I smiled against his skin, then obeyed the hand on my neck and lifted my head to meet his kiss.

Several kisses later he pushed himself off the bed and stretched, giving me an almost-smile when he caught me watching. I continued to watch him as he untangled the mess on the floor and covered me with the sheet before picking up his pants and heading for the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush, and water run, then he came back and started looking for his shirt.

I wished I had a camera… Barefoot and bare-chested in the black slacks, with morning stubble shadowing his jaw, that amazing face framed by his loose hair…_yum_! I didn't realize I'd said anything until he stood, shirt in hand, and asked me why I wanted a camera.

_Caught again._ "**Playgirl** magazine would pay a fortune for a picture of you like this," I teased from my nest on the bed. "I'd never have to work again."

He finished pulling on his shirt and leaned over me, bracing his hands on the mattress. "No selling pictures, Babe."

I smiled as he kissed me. "How about pictures taken just for me?" I asked against his lips.

He hesitated. "Maybe," he whispered, and kissed me again. Before I could recover he was ready to go, but he paused in the doorway. "I'll pick you up at seven."

I must have looked surprised because he smiled. "Babe, we've got a date. You don't get out of it that easy." And he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Characters property of Janet Evanovich – I only wished I owned them!_

Chapter 4

I lazed in bed for almost hour after Ranger left, reliving the night and savoring every pleasurable ache. Even though I hadn't slept much I was too full of energy to actually go back to sleep so I finally got up. I took a leisurely shower and deep-conditioned my hair while I shaved and exfoliated, then smoothed lotion all over. I worked Mr. Alexander's magic conditioner through my hair and left it to dry by itself.

My bedroom was a mess. Pillows were tossed here and there, and the sheets were pulled loose from the mattress and tangled with the comforter. I started to straighten them to make the bed and found damp spots, so I just pulled them off instead and remade the bed with clean sheets. The comforter, however, needed to go to the Laundromat.

I found my clock and realized it was barely nine, so I gathered my laundry and sorted it into piles, pulled on yoga pants and a t-shirt, and headed to the Laundromat. Two hours later I was putting fresh clothes away.

I'd spent my time at the Laundromat thinking about my upcoming date with Ranger -- as if I could think of anything else! I was jittery with nerves and couldn't decide what I should wear. I had absolutely no idea what Ranger might plan for a date. I'd gone to dinner with him a few times when we were working, but the places had ranged from the biker-bar atmosphere of Shorty's to Pino's to Rossini's. Quite the extremes!

Something in me wanted to wear a dress for Ranger. Not one of my distraction outfits, either. I wanted to look good, and feminine, but not slutty. I don't think anything in my closet fit that description anymore. It was filled with work clothes - jeans and t-shirts - and distraction outfits. How long had it been since I'd dated?

Too long, much too long. I hadn't gone on an actual date that I could remember since I'd lost my job at EE Martin. I hadn't missed dating, though, because I'd had Joe and Ranger and the Merry Men for companionship and eye candy, and Joe's libido had been more than happy to provide sex (and the one night with Ranger, long ago). My job had provided challenge, entertainment, excitement -- and all too often, danger. Who needed to date?

I needed to go shopping. I had no skips, which normally worried me, but my bank balance was high enough to do a little shopping, pay rent for the next two months, and still be comfortable... I put on a little makeup, ran a brush through my hair, and after a brief inner debate I headed for the office to see if Lula wanted to go shopping with me.

Connie and Lula were kicked back reading new issues of Cosmo and several other women's fashion magazines. An almost-empty donut box was still open on Connie's desk, and there were no files in the trays or on top of the filing cabinet. Evidently things were so slow they'd even caught up on paperwork and filing, which had to be a first.

Connie glanced up as I walked in.

"Hey, Stephanie. Still no skips, sorry."

"That's okay. I didn't think there would be or you'd have called," I said with a smile. "For once, I've got enough in the bank to float a little while. In fact, I came to see if Lula wanted to go shopping with me." Part of me was a little nervous facing them. In the past they've been uncanny in their ability to know when I've had sex - and I didn't want them to know about Ranger yet.

Lula jumped up, tossing her magazine onto the stack on Connie's desk. "I'm up for shopping. It's too damn quiet around here this morning."

"Quiet?"

"Vinnie went to the track, and so far the phone hasn't even rung. It's weird." Connie explained with a sigh. "I'd lock up and go with you but with my luck Vinnie would call to check up on me. Besides, my feet would be killing me after ten minutes."

"She went dancing with some big bruiser last night, and he danced on her feet," Lula translated as she pulled her purse from a file drawer.

"Oh." What was there to say to that? "Well...if we can get you anything..."

"You could bring me something for lunch later."

"Okay, we can do that."

"I'm drivin'," Lula announced as she headed out the door. "I need tunes."

I didn't argue. I was driving Big Blue again - my car was still alive, but in the shop for some minor engine work - and the indestructible old car didn't have a radio.

We rolled out onto the street with music blaring and the windows down. I dug through my purse for a hair tie and bundled my hair into a knot to keep the tangles down, enjoying the wind too much to complain. Lula was singing along with the CD – I'm not sure what it was but it sounded suspiciously like Sally Sweet - and we rocked all the way to the mall.

We went in through Macy's and checked out the shoes first. Nothing jumped out at me so I decided to wait and see what I could find in a dress first. Lula found some funky clear lucite platform sandals on clearance that she wanted, so I waited until she'd made her purchase and then we headed out to cruise the mall and window-shop for dresses.

"So what are you shopping for today? Or is this just therapeutic shopping?"

What to say? "A little bit of both, I think. I was looking through my closet and realized my entire wardrobe can be divided into two categories; jeans, t-shirts, and sloppy stay-at-home clothes, and the slut clothes I wear when I do distractions for RangeMan. I don't have any just nice clothes. My 15-year class reunion is coming up, my cousin's wedding isn't far off, and I have nothing. I want some in-between clothes. A dress that's pretty but doesn't show too much, or maybe a pants outfit. You know what I mean?"

Lula stopped to buy a pretzel but was nodding to me at the same time. "Um-hmm, um-hmm, I get it. Something that hints at your feminine assets without displaying everything."

I laughed at her description but she was right. "Exactly. That's what I'm looking for."

We paused to look at some clothes in a window display. Lula was chewing and looking thoughtful. "So who is he?"

"What?"

"You're thinking _date_ clothes, and that means you've got a man on your mind. I know you're not seeing Supercop no more - not that he ever took you out to nice places anyway - so there's got to be someone new."

I could only gape at her. I thought I'd been wonderfully vague, and had even thought up good reasons to have said clothes on hand, and she'd seen through it. Could she tell? Did she suspect already?

Lula laughed. "Girl, close your mouth -- you look like a fish! Did you really think I wouldn't guess? Spill! Who's the new man?"

"How...? But...? Oh, hell. Lula, you're right about there being a man on my mind, but he's not really mine – at least not yet – so I don't want to tell anyone about him. You know how the rumor mill here treats my life. Anything I do or say goes all over town and gets back to my mother by evening, then she's calling or I hear about it when I go to dinner. I don't know if things will work out with this man, but I want to have a fighting chance."

Lula just stood there and looked at me for several long minutes until I started to worry I'd made her mad. Then she grinned.

"Is he good looking?"

"Yes."

"Okay, you don't have to tell me yet – but you owe me lunch today, and details later."

"Deal."

True to her word, Lula didn't ask who the man was for the rest of the trip. That wasn't to say she didn't try to sneak in questions, like would I wear a dress the color of his eyes and other silly things like that. I almost answered one or two but mostly they just made me laugh. And despite how you might think from the way she dressed, she did have good fashion sense, and helped me find several date-type dresses and pants sets to try on. She'd stopped even looking for herself and waited patiently outside dressing room doors to give her opinion on each outfit.

I found myself avoiding black, and after I'd turned down two black dresses she gave me an odd look.

"It seems like I wear a lot of black. Nearly all of my distraction outfits are black, the only dress slacks I have are black – and two years old – and I have black jeans and black yoga pants—"

"And your RangeMan uniforms are black," Lula put in.

"Well, yeah, but its not like I wear them much anymore. Most of the work I've done for RangeMan lately is just distractions."

Lula looked up from the rack she was going through. "You know, I've heard you talk about distraction jobs, and I've even heard Tank mention them, but what exactly do you _do_ on that kind of job?"

I laughed. "You know when you go to the greyhound track, the mechanical bunny the dogs chase? That's me. I dress up in a barely-decent outfit, wear lots of make-up and heels I can barely walk in. Ranger has a team; at least one person in the bar to signal when the skip comes in and usually another inside as backup, and then teams at each exit. I look at the guy's picture, the inside man tells us where he is before I go in. I walk in…sometimes I fake a stumble and fall into him, sometimes I sit a couple seats away and pretend to be arguing on the phone, or mad at my boyfriend, or stood up. I get him to talk to me, make him think I'm easy, and get him to go outside with me. We walk out, Ranger's men grab him, and it's done."

"That easy?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes things go wrong. Once, the skip recognized me. One tried to drug me. One managed to hit me before the Merry Men got him pinned – that didn't go over very well." I remembered something and laughed. "Oh and once, after everything was in place, I couldn't get the skip interested in me. He kept looking at Lester, who was one of the inside men, and we thought he'd recognized him. But it turned out the skip was gay and thought Lester was cute, and Les had to bite the big one and play along to get him outside."

"Yeah, _all_ those Merry Men are hot," she agreed, laughing. "Which one is Lester?"

I kept forgetting Lula didn't know them as well as I did. She'd only remembered Tank's name at the beginning – he was a pretty hard guy to forget, after all, and she'd always had a thing for him. "Lester Santos is the tall Hispanic one that smiles a lot."

"He's _fine_. I'd have liked to see him flirting with a man!" she hooted. "Was he convincing?"

"He got the skip outside! The guys tried to tease him for the rest of the night but Lester just turned it back on them, saying they were just jealous that he was so good-looking even men fell for him. Even Ranger laughed."

At the next store I hit the jackpot. Lula found a beautiful dress in cobalt blue, made of some knit fabric that felt soft but held its shape well. It had barely-there sleeves and a scoop neck that showed just a hint of cleavage; the rest of the dress fit close to my body and flared out from my hips down. It looked kind of plain on the hanger, but it looked really good on and the neckline would show off jewelry. I couldn't remember the last time I'd worn a necklace.

We found a second dress, in a soft red, cut more like a sundress from the fifties or sixties. It had shoulder straps but left a lot of my shoulders, chest, and upper back bare, and the skirt swirled gently just above my knees. I also found a calf-length black knit skirt that looked like a wrap-around, shorter enough in front where it crossed to show my knee, and a pretty royal blue blouse. Happy with my haul, we checked Victoria's Secret for any good sales, and headed back to Macy's to go out.

Something on a clearance rack caught Lula's eye – turquoise blue with sequins – and while I waited for her I found an Oriental-style blouse in blue with pink cherry blossoms scattered over it. It fit tight except for the sleeves which were the wide kimono kind. And of course I had to get the pair of Mary-Jane shoes with the four-inch heels that made my legs look great _and_ went with everything I just bought.

By the time we left the mall it was two o'clock, and Connie would be starving. We went through a drive-through and got lunch on our way back to the office. I only stayed long enough to eat a few fries, then took my milkshake and headed home. Now that I had a dress and there was nothing else to distract me from tonight I was too nervous to eat.

Back at the apartment I turned on the TV for company and hung up my new clothes. I watched the weather – still hot but it was supposed to cool off tonight – and did some cleaning while wearing my new shoes to break them in a little. I snickered at myself while I ran the vacuum, feeling like an old-time TV mom doing housework in heels and pearls.

I tried to take a nap. A faint trace of Ranger's Bulgari scent lingered in the pillows, and I curled up with them and snoozed for about an hour. Then I got up and started getting ready.

My shower was quick, since I'd done the major stuff this morning. I dried my hair into soft curls, touched up with the curling iron, but skipped hair spray. Ranger had his hands in my hair a lot last night, so I didn't want it sticky.

I spent a long time on my makeup. I didn't want to look like I always did, especially on jobs. I used subtle colors of eye shadow, blending it carefully so that my eyes looked big but not really made up, then lined them with smoky pencil and used self-curling mascara.

I didn't want to get dressed too early, so I put on my robe and spent fifteen minutes deciding which dress to wear – the blue one – then another ten picking out what underwear set to go beneath it. I found a little purse that looked okay with the dress and shoes and loaded it with my essentials; my wallet, cell phone, keys… I picked out which lipgloss to wear, and dug through my jewelry box to find the silver-and-crystal necklace and earrings I'd bought with my last big payout.

At six, I started getting dressed. I spritzed myself with Dolce Vida and put on the blue satin Victoria's Secret set, then slipped the dress on. I buckled the shoes, touched up my makeup, and put on the jewelry. By six-twenty I was staring at myself in the bathroom mirror with a major case of butterflies in my stomach, thinking seriously about hiding upstairs again.

It wasn't that I didn't look okay. I looked pretty good… Maybe it was the dress that made me look tall and thinner, or maybe the necklace drew attention to my collarbones, but something made me look almost dainty. Not at all like what I was used to.

At six-thirty, I heard the lock tumble and the chain swing free.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was trying to come up with something different for their 'date'! And don't worry, I'm not done yet! (evil grin) **__**(Suggestions are always welcome, though!)**_

_Disclaimer: Characters property of Janet Evanovich and used without permission. I just like to play with them!_

_**Chapter 5**_

I watched my eyes widen in the mirror. Ranger was half an hour early.

"Ranger?" I called out, suddenly worried. Granted, Ranger sometimes arrived a little early, but what if it wasn't him?

"It's me, Babe."

I stuck my head around the doorframe just enough to peek at him with one eye. Maybe I could gauge where we might go by what he was wearing?

Ranger saw me and his lips quirked up. "Not dressed? I know I'm early."

He looked really nice, more like the GQ guy from last night that the normal SWAT Ranger I was used to seeing. Still, his choice of clothes made me feel better about my dress. He was wearing black slacks and a dark red button-up shirt, left loose at the throat and with the cuffs rolled to his forearms. His shirt was tucked in and since he wasn't wearing a jacket I wondered where he'd hidden his gun.

"Actually, I'm almost ready," I said, pleased that my voice sounded pretty normal. "You look nice. Where are we going?"

His smile widened. "I thought we'd have a nice dinner somewhere outside of Trenton. And then I think I'll kidnap you."

I raised my eyebrows at his teasing and ducked back into the bathroom to hide my smile. "I don't think you're supposed to tell your victim you're planning to abduct them," I called before closing the door. I did a final check then grabbed a comb, my lip-gloss and a powder compact to put in my purse. Then, on the off-chance he might be serious, I added a small travel-style toothbrush.

In the bedroom I found my purse and dropped the last items in. I'd decided against any sort of jacket so I was ready. I went out to meet my date.

Ranger was standing by the window waiting for me. His eyes were already warm but they darkened nicely as he took in the dress. He gave me a slow smile as I walked towards him. "Beautiful," he said.

I had to smile. Ranger, the master of one-word sentences!

He'd driven the Turbo. It was my favorite of all his vehicles. I loved the leather seats, the cockpit-like feel, and the mingled scent of leather and Bulgari. When I was in this car with Ranger I felt encapsulated, separate and safe from the world. The small smile on his lips as he opened the passenger door for me told me he knew all that and driving it tonight was deliberate.

Ranger had said dinner somewhere outside Trenton, someplace nice. As usual, Ranger was silent while he drove, but as he took the ramp onto highway 1 headed south I replayed what he'd said and had a slight attack of nerves. While Ranger seemed able to fit in anywhere, I wasn't so sure of my own social skills. I worried for several minutes, then reached over and touched him.

"Ranger?"

"Babe?" he looked over at me curiously, his eyes flicking down to my fingers resting on his arm.

I seldom just touched Ranger – he wasn't the sort of man that welcomed casual touch - and especially not while he was in his driving Zone. That I had tonight probably told him something about my nerves, and as I drew back he took his hand off the wheel and captured my fingers. I almost forgot what I'd been going to say.

"Um, you said dinner somewhere nice…not _too_ nice, okay?"

He squeezed my fingers without speaking, then he laced his fingers with mine and laid them on his thigh. I could feel the warmth of his skin through the fabric. He'd probably meant the gesture to be reassuring, but… _Oh, boy._

A few minutes later the Pennsylvania state line sign caught my eye.

"Are you worried yet?" Ranger asked. I frowned at him in confusion and the corners of his mouth quirked up. "You're being kidnapped and transported across state lines."

"In that case, _you're_ the one that should worry. I'm just the victim. The FBI would be after _you_." He chuckled, and a few moments later I asked where we were going. Typically, his only answer was a smile.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and he continued to hold my fingers against his leg, his thumb occasionally caressing mine. Then he slowed for an exit and I felt the muscles of his thigh bunch and move. I was so distracted I missed any signs that might have told me where we were, and by the time I regained control of my libido we'd already arrived.

The building was nondescript on the outside but had a full parking lot. Inside it was a surprise. It was a club like I'd only seen in old movies, with tables around a small central dance floor backed by a stage. The lighting was flatteringly low without being dim, the place was sparkling clean, and there was only the muted clink of silverware and the music – currently from a DJ – a mix of blues and swing and more modern stuff but all the kind of music for dancing. Several couples were already circling the floor.

I hope I managed not to gape. Ranger's hand was warm at the small of my back as he guided me inside. A young woman in a vintage-style cocktail dress led us to a semi-secluded table at the far edge of the dance floor. The place was busy but not frantic, and the clientele's ages seemed to range from late twenties to the age of Grandma Mazur. Everyone was dressed nicely with most of the women I saw wearing dresses, some fancier than others. We fit right in.

Shortly after our waiter brought menus and took our drinks order, the DJ left his corner of the stage and a band took their places. As soon as the music started again, people began to drift back onto the dance floor. Some – usually the younger ones – only swayed to the music, but it seemed the majority of the dancers actually knew the proper steps.

I shot Ranger a look under my eyelashes. Did he like to dance? I'd taken dance lessons in middle school, one part of the perfect 'Burg upbringing I'd actually enjoyed but never had much chance to use. Dickie had only grudgingly learned the waltz for our wedding reception, and Joe was more the sway type. Joe knew the steps – he'd been in Valerie's class - but didn't bother to make the effort.

Ranger caught my speculative look and one corner of his mouth twitched. I flushed a little and turned my attention back to the menu. When the waiter brought our drinks we gave our dinner orders, Ranger raising an eyebrow at me when I ordered chicken with rice and steamed vegetables instead of my usual pasta. As soon as the waiter left Ranger stood and held out his hand to me.

"Would you like to dance?"

A few minutes later I felt like I was in one of those old romance movies, held in Ranger's arms and actually dancing the steps I'd learned so long ago. It somehow didn't surprise me that he danced easily, his lead sure, his hold on me proper if somewhat closer than my old dance teacher had allowed. One dance became two, and I looked up at Ranger and smiled.

"This is nice."

"Yes, it is," he agreed, and his eyes were warm and smiling. During the third dance, though, he saw our dinner arriving and led me back to the table.

The food was good, but it was secondary to the company. I asked about the club; Ranger had met a new client here at their request a few months ago, and he'd liked it. We talked a little about sports, about cars, and about Tank and Lula dating. We shared a bottle of wine with our meal, and he ordered me dessert and coffee for himself. And we danced.

It was odd. Dancing with Ranger was both relaxing and exciting. I didn't have to think at all, I just leaned into him and let myself drift. In my heels I was nearly the perfect height. I could lay my head on his shoulder or turn my face into his neck and breathe in his scent. My body followed his automatically, and the constant brush and sway started a slow burn deep and low.

After a while the crowd began to thin out. The ones that were left were lingering over dessert or drinks, or taking advantage of the dance floor. No one paid us much attention aside from a few envious looks I caught when other women got a good look at Ranger.

The music changed, a different beat, one that hinted at the tropics. I opened my eyes and noticed the lights had dimmed and the crowd had thinned to only a few couples. Ranger swung me in a step I barely remembered and only caught me closer when I stumbled. He kept me pressed close and it didn't take long for me to notice he was hard. Then that was all I could think about.

I don't remember dessert, other than it was chocolate. My eyes kept straying to Ranger…his lips as he sipped his coffee, the polite nod he gave the waiter, the subtle way he tucked bills into the folder for the check without flashing what they were. Then he was helping me from the chair and leading me back out into the night, handing me into the Turbo. This time, as soon as the engine caught, our hands reached for each other.

As usual, Ranger drove in silence. I was used to it and was comfortable with the quiet. I had to admit I was still a little bemused by this date but I was having fun and wasn't ready for it to end yet. I always thought dinner-and-dancing dates sounded boring but I couldn't remember the last time I'd enjoyed myself so much. I was replaying part of it in my head, eyes shut and smiling to myself, when the Turbo turned, crunched briefly across gravel and came to a stop.

My eyes popped open and I looked around. We hadn't been driving more than fifteen minutes so we were still far from Trenton.

The Turbo was pulled into a carport open on three sides. Ranger got out of the car and was walking around the front, and I took a fast look around but nothing looked familiar. Behind us was a fairly short gravel drive leading off a quiet highway, but there were no other buildings, houses, or lights in sight. Just trees.

By the time Ranger reached to open my door my heart was beating a little faster. "Where are we?" I asked.

He kept his face blank but his eyes were crinkling at the corners. "I told you, I'm kidnapping you."

"You were serious?" I asked.

He hesitated. "Yes, but I'll take you home whenever you want. I've taken a few days off and I'd really like to spend some time with you, just relaxing and being together. I want you, you know that, but I won't pressure you. There are two bedrooms, Babe. It's your choice where you sleep."

I reached for his hand and let him help me out of the car. He beeped it locked and led me to a door in the wall of the house, nearly hidden in the shadows. I could barely make out that the door had a keypad lock. Ranger pushed a series of numbers and the keypad beeped, the lock clicked, and he opened the door. It led into a large, dark room. Ranger guided me inside and closed the door behind us.

The darkness was near complete and I couldn't see anything, so I stopped. Ranger's arms came around my waist, pulling me back against him. "You okay?"

"I can't see anything," I whispered, and he chuckled. I liked the way it felt against my back.

"Take two steps forward and I'll turn on a lamp."

It took three steps because in the dark I took baby steps. Ranger must have better night vision than me, because he managed to turn on the small lamp without fumbling at all, and the soft glow gently illuminated our surroundings.

There was a large open room that seemed to take up most of the small house. The door we'd come in was between the kitchen and dining areas, and in front of us was a living area with a fireplace, several pieces of large comfortable-looking leather furniture, and a short hall that must lead to the bedrooms. The living area and hall were carpeted, but the rest of the floor was slate colored tile.

"Want the grand tour?" he asked.

I turned in the circle of his arms to face him. "Is this the Batcave?"

He grinned. "No, the Batcave is currently under extensive reconstruction and not livable, which is why I've been living in the Haywood apartment. This place belongs to Tank, although he hasn't spent much time here. He gave me the keycodes this morning when I asked him if he'd take over for a few days."

"I'll pass on the tour…I'll be nosy later."

His arms tightened around my waist and he lowered his head, kissing a trail from my forehead down my cheek to my mouth and nibbling at my lips. I tilted my face up to give him access and met his kiss eagerly. He kept them light, erotic but teasing, and then drew back slightly to look down at me. The expression on his face was thoughtful but his lips were curving up.

"Thank you, Stephanie."

"For what?" I asked, surprised.

"Everything. For giving me your trust and your friendship, and for all your help."

I made a face. "You've helped me a lot more than I've helped you."

He opened his mouth then shut it again, shaking his head slightly. "We'll argue about that later," he said with a slow smile. "I wasn't finished – I wanted to say thank you for last night, and for coming with me tonight. I can't remember the last time I went dancing or enjoyed anything as much as this time spent with you."

"Hey, I'll go dancing with you any time," I said softly, trying for lightness against the lump in my throat. He was about to make me cry.

He kissed me again and this time there was nothing teasing about it. I kissed him back, sliding my arms around his neck and letting his hands mold my body to his. I didn't notice when he found the remote for the stereo, I only heard the music come on and then we were dancing again. This time there was no space between us, and it was less a dance than a slow, deliberate seduction. By the end of the second song I was in the same desperate condition as the night before; wet and aching.

"Where do you want to sleep?" Ranger whispered against my lips, his breathing nearly as ragged as mine.

"With you." As if I'd choose to sleep alone now! I smiled as I pressed open-mouth kisses from his jaw down his throat, then I whispered against the moisture on his neck, making him shiver. "But I'm not tired enough to sleep yet. Any ideas?"

I loved how his groan vibrated against me as he literally swept me off my feet and strode down the short hall and into one of the bedrooms, barely slowing before falling with me onto a huge bed. There followed moments of frustrated laughter as we got tangled in our attempts to get each other naked, but about three heartbeats later we were skin to skin and Ranger was kissing his way down my body.

_TBC..._


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. My muse was evidently on vacation; I knew what I wanted to write, but it wouldn't come out right._

_**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Janet Evanovich and wantonly used without permission. I don't think the characters minded; no money was made and no characters harmed, so hopefully Janet will forgive me.**_

s+rr+s

"_But I'm not tired enough to sleep yet. Any ideas?"_

_I loved how his groan vibrated against me as he literally swept me off my feet and strode down the short hall and into one of the bedrooms, barely slowing before falling with me onto a huge bed. There followed moments of frustrated laughter as we got tangled in our attempts to get each other naked, but about three heartbeats later we were skin to skin and Ranger was kissing his way down my body._

_**Chapter Six**_

He was taking his time… I might have mentioned it before, but Ranger can do magical things with his mouth… and hands…and, well, he **_is_** _magic_…all over.

It took me three tries to get rid of his hair tie, and that was before he'd had time to really get started. I mean, I knew there was an erogenous zone somewhere at the base of the neck, but I'd never had such an intense reaction to it before. I sighed with pleasure when at last I was successful in untying the leather and the silky strands of his hair dragged across my sensitive skin -- and then I found my fingers tangled in it as his mouth found my breast.

Back and forth he went, circling up to but not quite touching the sensitive tips, then starting over. A brief touch of tongue then a chill as he blew across the moisture, making them peak even harder. When at last the heat of his mouth closed over one nipple I was writhing; he moved to repeat it on the other side and I was fast approaching meltdown.

It wasn't until I tried to pull him back up my body that I realized he'd trapped my hands. His fingers were laced with mine under the small of my back, holding me arched up for him. I have no idea when or how he did it, but I was helpless. I tried to protest. I'm sure I did; I demanded he let me go, I needed my hands. I needed _his_ hands. I needed _him_. I was dying…

He slid back up my body and kissed me slow and deep and I nearly forgot how to breathe. Then he started back down and I started to beg.

I heard him groan against me, and jumped when he nipped me.

"Settle down, Babe," he ordered in husky voice touched with amusement. "I've waited a long time for this. Last night was for you – now it's my turn."

I was in serious trouble. Was it really possible to die of pleasure? I was already on fire and _god help me_ Ranger was starting over…

The first orgasm washed over me while he was still toying with my breasts, followed quickly by two more. Then his fingers cupped me, squeezing gently then probing, stroking, urging me to make way for his mouth, his tongue, and I was soaring up and up…

I could hear myself crying out with pleasure, over and over, but it wasn't quite enough, wasn't what I wanted. Finally he relented and I felt the hard length of him pushing into me, rocking slowly at first then harder and faster until all I could do was hold on as wave after wave of pleasure rolled over me.

Some while later it registered that Ranger was moving. It took as much concentration as I could muster to figure out that he was shifting us around the right way on the bed to get under the covers. My body felt like it belonged to someone else, but after a few tries I managed to get it to mostly cooperate, and settled happily against him when he pulled me back into his arms. I felt him kiss my forehead, heard his whispered "Sleep, Babe," and I was out.

s+rr+s

I surfaced slowly, reluctantly, from the erotic dream… A shiver of remembered pleasure ran through me, making me throb, and I hugged my pillow tighter and tried to squeeze my thighs together to ease the ache. Except…something was between my knees preventing it.

I woke a little more, frowning in confusion. I was sleeping on my side, my head on one pillow with another hugged tight against me. I was pretty sure they were my pillows – they still smelled faintly of Bulgari and Ranger. So what woke me up? Then several things registered in my sleep-drugged mind all at once.

A warm, hard body was pressed against my back. Lips feathered whisper-soft kisses against the back of my neck and shoulder. A strong, muscled thigh was between mine, and a fingertip was sliding through the curls between my legs, drawing circles around my already-sensitive clit.

I wasn't dreaming. I was still in bed with Ranger.

I blinked a few times before realizing it was dark in the room. It was still night. Then his fingers slipped deeper and I arched against him unconsciously, pressing my butt back into his groin. He was full and hard against me. I moved against him again and the small sound he made shot straight to the aching flesh between my legs and I felt myself go wet.

"_Dios, Babe." _

It was whispered against my neck so softly I could barely hear the words, but I felt his whole body tighten around me. His other hand was splayed against my belly, pressing me firmly back against him as his fingers continued to play.

My breasts began to ache, the tight nipples hypersensitive against the pillowcase after his earlier attentions. The knee between my thighs slid up, creating more space for his hand. He squeezed the sensitive bud between his fingers and I whimpered.

"Is this okay?" His voice was low and husky and made me shiver and squirm, pressing myself against him with quickly growing desire.

I tried to answer but only jumbled sounds came out. My body answered, too, and I guess Ranger understood what I was trying to say just fine…those talented, slightly calloused fingers kept moving.

Just as I was hovering on the edge of orgasm, the fingers slid away and I cried out in frustration. Ranger's hand was on my hip, turning me onto my back. He moved over me and I sighed in anticipation but he slid down, and down…. His mouth closed over me and his tongue found the swollen nub. It was too much and I bucked against him, barely aware of the cries torn from my throat. He relented, drawing back slightly then beginning a trail of kisses up my thigh and across my belly.

The fingers were back, sliding inside now to seek and find that secret spot, rubbing and retreating and returning. The path of kisses reached my breasts and it took little more than a breath to send me over once, then again.

Before I could come back down his hands were urging me to turn over, pushing my legs and the pillows beneath me, then he was easing slowly into me from behind. His hands slid down my spine from my neck to my tailbone as he pushed slowly in counterpoint, and the sensation was so incredible it set up a deep quivering inside me that just strengthened with each slow stroke. Everything was swollen and hypersensitive from his patient attentions; my nipples rasped against the sheets, my clit and g-spot felt every millimeter of his hard length as he pushed deep into me and slowly pulled back out.

Every slow stroke seemed to wind something inside me tighter and tighter. I broke and started pushing back into his thrusts as hard and fast as I could, urging him on, faster and faster. Then his hands were gripping my hips, holding me tight as he pounded into me so deep and hard I would probably have bruises from it, and finally the dam inside let go and I came so hard I saw colored spots dancing on the inside of my eyelids. I heard his voice, incomprehensible in broken snatches of languages, then he went rigid pressed as deep as he could go and I felt his release.

I wasn't aware this time as he rearranged us into a more comfortable position to sleep. I didn't remember him kissing my hair as he tucked me against his chest; didn't hear his whispered words or his sigh of pleasure.

The faint gray light of pre-dawn was in the windows when he woke me again. I complied eagerly even before I was really awake, taking him into my arms when he rose over me, sliding my legs up over his hips to cradle him. This time was slow and gentle, with whispered words and tender kisses. And when it was done we slept still entwined.

_TBC_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Characters property of Janet Evanovich. I only wish they were mine._

**Chapter 7**

I woke up when Ranger slipped out of the bed, just enough to raise my head and pry one eye mostly open, squinting against the brightness. I hadn't heard an alarm or anything but I usually sleep hard and it wouldn't be the first time I'd missed something.

"S'matter?"

"Its okay, Babe. It's early, go back to sleep," Ranger said softly, smoothing the sheet up over my back. "I'm not going far."

Reassured, I relaxed back into the pillow. I was marginally aware of Ranger moving around, the room dimming, then there was nothing as I fell back to sleep.

I don't think I slept long. The scent of coffee teased me back to wakefulness and I rolled onto my side and blinked, momentarily confused by the unfamiliar bedroom. Hadn't the room been a lot brighter earlier? Oh, Ranger had pulled the blinds. Then I spotted the card propped on the nightstand and smiled. The last few days had been full of surprises - not the least that Ranger could leave notes.

_"I'm out back. Coffee and back door in kitchen. R."_ the card read.

I pushed myself into a sitting position, grabbed at the sheet and missed and make a face as my body protested the movement. Maybe I was more out of shape than I'd thought. Untangling myself from the sheet and getting to my feet, I looked around for something to wear. A chenille throw that had been at the foot of the bed was just the right size to cover me up without tripping me and was sinfully soft. My skin was still hyper-sensitive and made me very aware of the way the cloth slipped across my skin as I moved. I made my way to the bathroom to answer nature's call and found fresh towels and a folded white t-shirt on the vanity. Bemused at Ranger's thoughtfulness, I hung the throw on the door hook and turned on the water.

The shower was oversized – but not quite as big as Ranger's - and had multiple showerheads. I adjusted the temperature and stepped in, sighing as the warmed water pounded my skin and eased my aches. It took several minutes for me to realize there was only a bar of soap in the shower, no shampoo. Well, duh - Tank shaved his head! At least my skin would be clean, and wetting my hair down would cure my bed-head. I didn't linger though and soon I was drying off and reaching for the shirt.

It had to be one of Tank's. The hem came halfway to my knees and the short sleeves brushed my elbows. I looked like a little kid wearing their dad's shirt. At least it was comfortable. I hung up the towel, took the throw back to the bedroom, and went looking for coffee and Ranger.

Either he'd waited to make coffee or I really hadn't slept long because the pot had just finished dripping. Two mugs sat ready on the counter, along with a spoon, sugar bowl, and creamer. I looked around the kitchen, my normal curiosity reasserting itself without Ranger to distract me. The floor was slate tile; I'd noticed that last night. Now I could see that it had variations of gray and blue that blended well with the soft gray granite of the countertops. The wood cabinets were finished with some sort of grayish wash that reminded me of the weathered wood buildings on the shore. The furniture in the dining area matched except that the polished wooden tabletop was so dark it almost looked black.

The door to the backyard was heavy wood, like the side door we'd come in, and had a window in the top third that was stained glass all in shades of gray and frost. A few bits of plain glass provided peep holes, and through one of them I could see a nice concrete patio partially-shaded by an extension of the roof -- and Ranger swimming in a long narrow lap pool.

I went back to the counter and poured two cups of coffee, adding sugar and creamer to mine. I had to put one cup down briefly to open the door then I was stepping barefoot out of the house and walking toward the pool.

The sun had warmed the surface of the concrete near the pool but from the angle of the shadows I was guessing it was still before noon. Sparkling on the surface of the disturbed water the sun glared, but I could see and appreciate the sight of Ranger's head, shoulders, and arms as he cut through the water. At the end of the pool he flipped as smoothly as an otter, and launched himself like a torpedo nearly half the length of the pool underwater. That was when I realized he wasn't wearing a suit. He wasn't wearing _anything_.

I was still standing at the end of the pool – probably with drool on my face – when he surfaced in front of me and smiled.

"I didn't expect you to be up this early."

"I smelled the coffee, and my pillow had already left," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "Besides, I'm liking the scenery out here."

Ranger's smile widened and he levered himself out of the pool. I watched shamelessly as he pushed his hair back and walked over to pick up a towel, slightly disappointed when he wrapped it around his waist and blocked part of my view. My eyes rose slowly as he turned, taking in the sight of a wet almost-naked Ranger in the sunlight. His face said he knew what I was thinking…and his eyes returned the complement.

"Is one of those for me?" he asked. I was so preoccupied it took me a minute to realize he was talking about the coffee cups.

"Um, yeah. No cream, no sugar?" I handed him the cup with the unadulterated coffee and watched as he took a sip.

His eyes met mine. I watched, mesmerized, as he reached for my cup, then turned and put them both on the arm of an oversized Adirondack chair. A moment later his hands cupped my face and he kissed me, gently but at length. When he drew back he whispered against my lips.

"Good morning, Babe."

I smiled. "Now it is." I loved it when he chuckled. "Am I interrupting your workout?"

"I think I've had enough. Someone wore me out last night," he teased, then a beat later he added, "dancing."

"Oh, yeah, sure – that dancing really takes it out of you," I teased back even though I knew I was blushing. "Especially when you get older."

"It's not the age, it's the mileage," he said wryly, and we both laughed.

He sat in the Adirondack chair and managed to draw me into his lap without spilling our coffee off the arm. Then he handed me my cup, took his own, and we relaxed in the sun sipping coffee for a while.

When the cups were empty and safely on the ground and I was cradled in Ranger's arms, I heard him say softly, "I had a good time last night."

"Me, too," I replied, smiling even though he couldn't see my face.

"What would you like to do today?"

"_You_ kidnapped _me_, remember?" I said with a laugh. "I think that means you get to decide."

"You'd tell me if you didn't want to be here, wouldn't you?" he asked quietly, and I turned to see his face had gone serious.

"You know me well enough to know the answer to that," I chided. "I want to be with you. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

He picked me up so fast I could only gasp before I found myself astride his thighs, facing him. "Why?"

Truth time…and for once I was going to say what I felt, even if it killed me. "Because I love you."

He tried to make his face blank but his eyes looked haunted. "Steph, you know I can't--"

I put my fingers over his mouth. "I'm not asking you to do or say anything. I understand that your life doesn't lend itself to relationships," I reminded him with a faint smile. "I just want you to know, to accept it. I'm don't need a commitment or even for you to love me back. If you walked away today and I never saw you again, I would still love you. Just, please…don't push me away. Let me enjoy whatever time I get with you."

I let my hand fall and took a steadying breath. It was the most I'd ever said about serious feelings at one time, to any man, ever. My heart was racing and I held my breath, bracing myself for whatever he might say.

_TBC…_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait; blame it on muse abandonment! Now that I've gotten over this little hump I'm hoping the rest will flow more smoothly… keep your fingers crossed._

_**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I just like to play with them. So far they don't seem to mind.**_

**Chapter 8**

It took all the courage I had to stay still and keep my eyes steady on Ranger's face, and even then I couldn't quite bring myself to meet his eyes. For a moment that stretched into eons he didn't move a muscle. Then, just as I reached my breaking point, his hands came up to cradle my cheeks, tilting my face up to meet his.

"Stephanie," he breathed. Just the one word, but in his usual unique way it spoke volumes. And he kissed me. He kissed me as if it was the first time, the last time, the _only_ time we'd ever be able to kiss. Many kisses; an endless kiss… Then I heard his whisper, felt it on my lips—

"I will never push you away again."

I had no idea how tightly I'd held my insecurities and fears of rejection until the relief rolled through me, releasing the pressure. Ranger was kissing me and suddenly tears were rolling down my face unchecked. I knew exactly when he tasted them -- his arms tightened around me until it was almost hard to breathe for several long moments.

I got myself under control pretty quickly and tried to draw back. Ranger's arms loosened only slightly and his hands began to rub my back soothingly. He was murmuring to me in mixed English and Spanish, confused phrases I couldn't understand, but his voice helped calm me.

Now I find myself still sitting astride him in the oversized chair, cradled in his arms, my face tucked into his neck. One of my hands is tangled in his drying hair, the other is caught between us. His hands have stilled and now his arms just gently hold me. As I calm down I remember where we are. I can hear the breeze in the trees, the faint hum of the pool pumps, the reassuring sounds of Ranger's heart and breathing. I can smell traces of soap and chlorine from his skin. I felt safe and content.

I sat up slowly, putting my hands on the armrests to push myself back off Ranger's chest. His hands came up to cradle my face again and his thumbs wiped away the remaining tears.

"I'm sorry I cried on you," I mumbled, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to."

His voice was husky. "It's okay, Babe. I'm sorry made you cry."

I risked a quick glance at him and was surprised to see the emotion on his face and in his eyes. Encouraged, I cupped my hand over one of his to hold it against my face, and tried to smile. "It wasn't your fault. You've always been honest with me, never promised anything you didn't mean. I wanted you to know how I feel. It was just harder than I thought it would be to say it out loud."

He didn't say anything. His thumb moved slowly back and forth across my cheek and he seemed to be studying my face. It was making me nervous.

"I've never lied to you," he began softly, "but I've never given you the whole truth, either. I didn't think it was fair when I couldn't offer what I though you wanted. I thought it would protect you, but it hurt you instead, didn't it?"

My heart was starting to pound. "What do you mean?"

"I love you, Stephanie. I have for a long time."

I felt my head spin and had to take a breath to steady myself. Had I heard that right?

Ranger continued as it he hadn't just shocked the hell out of me, the fingers of one hand sliding into my hair. "I thought being with me would put you in danger… Then Tank pointed out that you've been shot at more times in the last three years than all of us at RangeMan put together." His lips quirked. "It woke me up."

I knew he cared about me, but… "Ranger?"

He smiled. "I love you, Babe. Don't ever doubt it."

He drew me down into a kiss, and for long happy minutes I got lost it him. Then something else he'd said finally penetrated and I pushed back up.

"What do you mean Tank said I'd been shot at more? Does he keep track?"

Ranger laughed. "Babe, half of Trenton keeps a Bombshell score card. But my guys don't bet on your cars like the cops - they just think you're incredible. And so do I."

_TBC…_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Many, many thanks to everyone who reviewed and sent encouragement!_

_**Disclaimer: Characters property of JE -- I just let them out to play.**_

…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…xXx…

_Ranger laughed. "Babe, half of Trenton keeps a Bombshell score card. But my guys don't bet on your cars like the cops - they just think you're incredible. And so do I."_

_**Chapter 9**_

I tried to glare at Ranger about the score card comment but I couldn't quite manage to stifle the happy smile his words had given me. Ranger thought I was incredible, and he even said he loved me. _He said it out loud!_ I felt like I should be pinching myself but if I was dreaming I didn't want to wake up yet.

So, grinning like an idiot, I made a conscious decision to push away any lingering doubts and insecurities and just enjoy myself, even if it turned out that there would only ever be just this one day. I loved the sound of Ranger's laughter and was hoping for more.

"So, how does this work? I asked teasingly. "Is there an official score card? Or does everyone make their own?"

"Everyone makes their own -- not everyone tracks the same events," Ranger answered with barely a pause, his half-smile belying his serious tone. "People in the 'Burg count how many times you make the paper. Trenton cops count your cars and catastrophes. My guys keep track of stalkers, shots fired, bombs, and your capture ratio…"

"Joe counts how many times I've stumbled over bodies, Mom counts phone calls and rumors…" I continued ruefully, then I stopped and tilted my head at him curiously. "What do you count?"

"Everything." His voice changed, and although his smile stayed in place his eyes were no longer teasing. "Steps forward, setbacks; cars and bombs and stalkers; shots fired and near misses. Captures. Miraculous escapes. Successes. Kisses. Definitely kisses…."

I leaned forward to meet his kiss and settled closer on his lap. The movement reminded me of the intimate position in which I was sitting. It must have reminded him, too, because his eyes went dark and his hands slid to my hips, holding me in place. As his mouth made love to mine I felt him harden beneath me and moved experimentally -- and realized that somewhere along the way he'd lost his towel. We were skin to skin below the hem of the shirt.

My breath hitched and I felt myself go wet. When Ranger groaned I knew he'd felt it, too, and that only made it worse. Without thought I moved, rubbing myself against his length. Ranger's whole body tensed and the grip of his hands tightened.

"Babe," he groaned as he broke the kiss. "God, Babe…I want you again."

Already I was wet enough to slip easily along his skin. He felt like heated silk over steel and my inner muscles clenched in anticipation. "I want you, too."

"Hold that thought," he whispered against my mouth, "We need to go back inside first."

I didn't even look around -- I'd give then whole yard a quick glance as I'd stepped out the door and I knew the staggered-brick wall went all the way around, broken only by a sturdy gate. So, privacy couldn't be an it? I drew back slightly, trying to read Ranger's face. His eyes were molten, and his desire was easy to read.

"I don't have anything out here," he explained.

Was that all? "It's okay," I murmured, wriggling a little to improve my position.

His hands locked on my hips, holding me still, and I realized what I had said. That phrase could be taken several different ways so I should probably rephrase it. He obviously needed more information.

"I'm protected," I clarified. "We don't really need anything else."

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

The ache of need was making it hard for me to think much less talk. I nodded. "I get the birth control shots – for a little over six months now. That's about as safe as it can get without involving a blade. So yes, I'm sure."

"_Babe."_ He held me motionless for another long moment as he kissed me, hard, then his hands were urging me to move. I didn't need any more incentive. I rubbed myself against him, spreading my slick juices along his length. Down, then up, slowly, nearly to his tip. I heard him draw a shaky breath and I opened my eyes.

Ranger was watching me, his eyes dark, his face tight. "It's been…_years_. I don't know how long I can…"

"Doesn't matter," I interrupted him. I ran my hands up his chest, loving the feel of his sun-warmed skin. I curved my hands around his face and kissed him gently, playing with his lips and tongue, teasingly nipping. I stroked his shoulders and traced the muscles in his arms. And kept rubbing against him slowly, from base to head, torturously close to what we both wanted, until we were both panting. Then I grabbed the back of the chair for leverage, raised up the final bit, and took him deep inside me.

I heard the sound Ranger made deep in his throat even as I cried out, then his hands were urging me on, running up and down my thighs, squeezing my hips. He moved beneath me, thrusting up to meet my strokes, slowly at first, then faster, harder.

I was getting very close when I felt the change in his rhythm, felt his grip change. It took me a few moments to catch his words when he started whispering.

"…too good, Babe…I can't last – God, Babe, _please_!"

"Ranger?"

"Please, please, Babe. Stop! Stop for a minute or I'll go too soon." His eyes were hot on my face.

I let his hands still my movement but I was quivering on the edge. For a few breathless moments we just looked into each other's eyes, our breathing ragged. Then Ranger fisted one hand in my hair and pulled me into a kiss, his mouth taking mine with all the hunger of a starving man. His other hand slid up my ribcage and his thumb brushed a pebbled nipple through the thin knit of the t-shirt, and I shattered.

I felt him shaking, trying to hold back, then he was driving up into me – once, twice, then I felt molten heat deep inside me as he came. It was enough to send me over again, and this time I saw spots.

After a few minutes Ranger loosened his grip and sank back into the chair breathing hard. I pretty much collapsed on his chest, gasping and shaking occasionally with aftershocks. It took a while for my breathing and heart rate to slow. They didn't make it all the way back to normal, though, because -- how shall I put this -- Ranger _recovered_ first…

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Sorry, no smut today:(**__** At least I'm making progress again…**_

_**Disclaimer: Not my characters, just having some fun.**_

_**Chapter 10**_

By the time we climbed out of the chair my legs were wobbly and barely held my weight. So I grabbed one of the huge towels and plopped down on the grass to 'get some sun.' Much to my surprise, Ranger joined me, spreading a towel beside mine and stretching out on his back with one arm behind his head and the other across his eyes. After a few minutes, without moving, he murmured, "You're not going to get much sun with that shirt on."

_Busted_.

I'd been busy feasting my eyes and entirely forgot about the huge shirt, but my stomach saved me from explaining, choosing that moment to growl piteously.

Ranger smiled. "Sounds like you need fuel."

Come to think of it, I was a little hungry.

Ranger put his towel back around his waist and pulled me to my feet, and I was happy to find my legs worked again. I followed him back into the kitchen, carrying our coffee cups while he brought in the towels and dropped them on a bare expanse of the granite countertop. Then he headed for the door we'd entered and picked up a black duffle bag that was sitting against the wall.

"I didn't think you'd wake as early as you did, or I'd have brought this in sooner," he apologized. "If you want the bathroom first, I'll see if Tank keeps any food here."

I took the bag and headed for the bedroom, wasting no time in plopping it on the bed to investigate the contents. I was quite surprised to find some of my own clothes inside - jeans, a few shirts, a short black skirt, a pair of shorts and a swimsuit, as well as my favorite pair of sandals. Even more surprising was a big floral zipper bag that held new containers of not only my hair and shower stuff, but an array of my favorite makeup, still sealed.

Ranger had planned this a lot more seriously than I'd thought. I thought his comment about kidnapping me had been a joke…

Snapping out of my stunned stupor, I decided not to waste any more time. Grabbing clean underwear and the zipper bag, I headed back to the shower.

I was running conditioner through my hair when Ranger stepped into the shower with me with a rueful smile.

"There's a couple cans of stew and a sad-looking frozen pizza," he said. "Looks like we're going out."

So he hadn't planned _everything_…

The shower lasted a little longer than I intended, since Ranger washed my back and I returned the favor. He helped me rinse my hair and sneaked a kiss, and then I reluctantly got out. It always took women longer to get ready than men so I needed a head start.

I toweled off quickly and pulled on my underwear and bra, then grabbed the bag and worked the leave-in conditioner from Mr. Alexander's through my hair. I found myself grinning that Ranger had even remembered this. I quickly slathered on the bare minimum of makeup and was looking around with dismay when Ranger got out of the shower.

"What's wrong, Babe?" he asked as he reached for a towel.

"Tank doesn't have a hairdryer."

Ranger frowned, then chuckled. "I guess he wouldn't. Just let it dry, or pull it back. I have an extra tie."

I frowned at him in the mirror. "My hair will go wild and I'll look like a poodle."

Ranger stepped closer and one arm slid around my waist. "I like your curls," he said, pulling me back against him in a quick hug. His hand looked large and dark splayed against my white stomach, and remembering what he could do with it made my toes curl. I thought about the warm hard body against my back and forgot all about food until my stomach growled again.

Ranger grinned and dropped a kiss beneath my ear. "Food," he said, and he went back to the bedroom.

I had to take a deep breath to get myself together again. I ran a comb through my wet hair and a critical eye over my face, decided it would do, and took the comb with me to get dressed. I'd borrow his hair tie.

The closet door was open, and Ranger was getting dressed. He'd pulled on comfortably loose faded jeans and a short sleeved khaki shirt, as yet unbuttoned. He pushed the door shut and started pulling his hair back into its tie.

He had clothes here? Well, duh. Tank is his best friend and Ranger has probably spent time here.

"Is it okay if I wear shorts?" I asked, and he smiled.

I picked a shirt - a short sleeved pale blue tee with a scoop neck - and started dressing. I was sort of watching Ranger out of one eye just from curiosity and still almost missed it when he tucked a small gun into the back of his jeans. I hid my smile and pulled my tee-shirt on, thinking _that's my guy_ -- and almost lost my balance.

_What was I thinking?_ I shot a look at Ranger and was relieved he'd missed my wobble, occupied with pulling on socks and a pair of running shoes. I reminded myself that this was temporary, he wasn't mine, and hoped I'd remember it.

I found my evening bag on the dresser and pulled my lip gloss, phone, and ID from it, sliding them into the pockets of my jeans. I slipped my sandals on and turned to see Ranger picking up his wallet and keys. I was ready at the same time he was, which had to be a major first. Of course, my hair was still wet, but…

It turned out we were close to the outskirts of Philadelphia and Ranger took me to a pancake house for brunch. I was surprised when Ranger ordered nearly the same combo breakfast I did, with bacon, eggs, and French toast. I caught the twitch of his lips, though, when he asked for fruit topping instead of syrup on his French toast, and wisely decided not to tease him.

As we walked back to the car Ranger asked if there was anything in Philly I'd like to do, or if I'd like to see a movie. I countered by asking what _he'd_ like to do. I was curious. He seemed to work all the time so I wondered what he did on his downtime. After a brief haggle, he admitted there was an action movie out he wouldn't mind seeing on the big-screen. We got the theaters and times from the internet via Ranger's phone, and headed toward one the mall theaters. There was an early show, and we could wander around until it was time.

I hadn't been to this particular mall before. It was fairly new, and had three levels. There was a huge fountain in the atrium in the center of the mall that rose through both lower levels and into the third, made of large copper leaves that let water cascade from leaf to leaf. There were coins all over in the fountain basin and on the leaves, and I soon saw why. All around the upper level were people tossing coins, trying to land them in the top-most leaf.

Fascinated, I towed Ranger up the escalator to the top level, and we found a spot by the railing to watch. So far there was a lone penny in the top leaf.

"Can you hit the top leaf?" I asked with a grin.

"Never tried."

"Got any pennies?" I wanted to try.

He pulled some change from his pocket and offered it with an almost-grin. I picked out several pennies and Ranger guided me in front of him to the railing.

My first try bounced off the second leaf down and fell into the large basin below. Okay, at least I was in the right range. My second try was higher but overshot the leaf, and I didn't see where it landed. The last penny landed in the second leaf.

Ranger reached around me and offered me two nickels.

The first nickel bounced on the second leaf and landed in the fourth. The second nickel just missed the top leaf and landed in the second, and I heard several people around the railings groan with me at the near miss.

Ranger was trying to hand me a quarter. I shook my head and turned to grin up at him. "You try."

The corners of his eyes crinkled. "What will you give me?"

The playful challenge startled me into laughing. "In public? A kiss."

He pulled the remaining change from his pocket and selected three quarters, dropping the rest back. I scooted over to give him room at the rail. He eyed the target for less that a heartbeat and sort of _shot_ a quarter out of his hand with his fingers.

The coin arched high, tapped the edge, and dropped into the water of the top leaf. Before the first _'Ahhs'_ were out he launched the second, then the third. Both landed solidly with satisfying plops, splashing water out of the top copper leaf.

Spontaneous applause broke out as I turned to look up at him with a grin. More applause and some laughter followed as Ranger claimed his prize. Only lips, and a touch of his fingers on my cheek, but I had to grip the rail to keep my balance. By the time he lifted his head I was blushing like a teenager. He was smiling but there was something more in his eyes when he reminded me I still owed him two more.

There was a renewed round of coins being pitched as Ranger put his arm around my waist and led me away from the fountain and the crowd.

_TBC…_

_(There really is a fountain similar to this in one of the malls in Kansas City. Its been a while and I can't remember which mall-- but I sucked at pitching pennies!)_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: Not my characters, just playing with them for a bit.**_

_A/N: This one is short - sorry, but I figured short was better than none! _

_**Chapter 11**_

We had enough time before the movie to walk all the way around the mall three times - once on each level. We stopped a few times - to watch someone on a water-massage machine, then an artist doing caricature sketches, and finally a mechanized display at one of the better gadget shops - but mostly we just walked. It felt weird to be doing something so normal, with Ranger dressed and acting like an everyday average guy, and at first it made me edgy. Then I noticed him scanning faces in the crowd. Strangely that bit of _Ranger_-normal behavior let me relax and enjoy our stroll. He kept one hand lightly on the small of my back as we walked and I made note of the variety of stores for future shopping expeditions.

At the theater Ranger surprised me again, leading me to the concession counter after we'd gotten our tickets. I was still full from our brunch so I shook my head to his offer of popcorn. I did want a drink, though. Ranger asked for a bottle of water and got a Coke for me.

The theater was empty except for us and I looked at my phone to see what day it was - I'd lost track. It was early on a Thursday afternoon, too early for most working people and with school in session that explained the lack of crowd. With all the seats open I would have guessed Ranger would choose a place at the top row, you know, the whole back-to-the-wall thing. Instead Ranger chose a spot about halfway up the stadium seats. It was where I tried to sit because you got the best view of the screen, but as soon as a few more people came in I realized we got a good look at everyone's face, too. Everyone paused a beat as they came in to look up at the rows before starting up the steps.

The movie was better than I expected. It was number four of a series and number three had sucked, but this one made up for it. There was no shortage of action, there was an actual plot, and one-liners scattered throughout the movie had the audience cracking up - even Ranger. When the credits ran we stayed in our seats to let the crowd thin out and to my delight there were out-takes at the end. As we left I took a detour to the bathroom, and afterward we headed back outside.

It had turned hot again during the afternoon and I was glad the Turbo's air conditioning was first-rate. I found myself once again watching Ranger as he drove.

"That was a good movie," I said, breaking the comfortable silence. "I was surprised. The last one sucked."

Ranger's grin flashed. "Maybe they were trying to compensate," he said.

"Do you go to movies very often?" Okay, I told myself I wasn't going to ask nosy questions but my curiosity was killing me. It just seemed so out of character for the Ranger I was familiar with.

"Not often. I like movies, but there's usually enough going on with the business that I don't have the time." He flashed me a quick smile and added, "I catch up on DVDs whenever I get a chance - during safehouse duty, on long flights, or when I'm laid up."

I pushed away memories of how many times he'd been wounded that Iknewof since I'd known him and gave him a flippant come-back. "Well, next time you want to watch movies come over for movie night instead of getting yourself shot, okay?" His lips quirked and I continued. "Bring ice cream and I'll even let you pick the movies. Deal?"

He caught my hand and squeezed it, then lightly kissed the back of my fingers.

"Deal."

_more coming soon…_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Sorry, no smut in this one either, but you get to see a little more Ranger being a regular guy…sort of. LOL!_

_**Disclaimer: Ranger and Stephanie property of JE and used without permission. Yoshihiko Nakashima is mine.**_

…_**oOo…oOo…oOo…**_

_**Chapter 12**_

We were taking a different route out of the city and the road was winding through residential areas broken up by small shopping centers. I was completely lost but I had no doubt that Ranger wasn't, so I was just enjoying the ride. At one of the larger shopping centers there were several nice restaurants and a handful of fast-food places mixed in among the shops. Ranger slowed the car and flipped on the turn signal.

"Let's have dinner. What sounds good? Seafood? Italian?"

Everything sounded good. I guess my breakfast had finally worn off. "What do you want to eat? Everything sounds good to me right now."

He took me at my word and a few moments later we were parking in front of a Japanese steakhouse and sushi bar. As he reached to turn off the key I gave him a suspicious look.

"You're not going to make me eat raw fish, are you?"

"No, but if you're nice you can try mine."

_Ewww! _I made a face and Ranger grinned.

Actually, I love Japanese steakhouses. There had been one near my college with a chef that could juggle knives, hit any target with a shrimp, and build excellent onion volcanoes. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been to one. Too long.

We stepped into the entryway just as a slender Asian man in a pristine white apron hurried through carrying a tray. He looked up, did a double-take, and his face lit up with a smile.

"Rico-sama!" He changed directions mid-step and shifted the tray to balance on one hand as he reached for Ranger's with the other. "Long time no see!" He continued in a confusing mix of English and what I assumed was Japanese even as their hands met. They didn't do a traditional handshake - they gripped each other's wrists like medieval swordsmen.

"Are you here to eat?" the man continued. "There is room at my table. Come!"

The dining room was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night. There were two large u-shaped grill tables on either side of the dining room with smaller tables in between. The sushi 'bar' ran along one side of the room. A small regular bar was on the opposite side of the open entry area.

We followed the man to the grill table in the back, where six people already sat looking at menus with drinks in front of them. One of the men, obviously there alone, scooted over a seat so Ranger and I could have the two remaining chairs together. A waitress appeared right behind us with menus.

"What to drink?" she asked as we sat down. Her accent was stronger than the man's.

"Hot tea," Ranger said, and I seconded it.

The Asian man was wiping down the warming grill with a wet cloth, causing billows of steam. "No sake?" he asked Ranger in a teasing voice. Ranger shot him a look and the man laughed. "Our friend no longer has a taste for sake," he told me confidingly, and by the way he was grinning I suspected there was a story behind that remark.

Beside me Ranger sighed but the corners of his eyes were crinkling.

"Babe, I guess I should warn you that this annoying man is my friend Yoshihiko Nakashima. He's done his best to get me into trouble all over the world. Yoshi, this is Stephanie."

Yoshihiko, chuckling, was already reaching to shake my hand when his eyes snapped back to Ranger at my name. "Stephanie? Stephanie Plum? I am honored!"

I blushed and Ranger chuckled. "It's nice to meet you," I got out politely, and cut my eyes to Ranger. "Maybe later you can tell me the sake story."

"_Hai_, yes," Yoshi laughed, nodding, and then he turned to introduce himself and greet the other diners at the table.

While the cheerful chef was busy answering questions about the menu selections, Ranger turned to me with a hint of a smile. "Don't believe half of what Yoshi tells you, Babe. Do you know what you'd like to eat?"

I glanced quickly through the menu, then slowed, frowning. "Everything looks good…but I don't recognize half of these dishes."

"Their menu is more traditional Japanese food. Most steakhouses here have Americanized their menu to cater to our tastes."

"Oh." I hadn't known that, but I'd never actually thought about it either.

"Would you like me to order for you?"

Would I end up eating something bizarre? Maybe, but then Ranger knew what I liked. I took a breath and took a chance. "Sure."

Ranger's lips crooked up. "Safe, or a little adventurous?" he asked.

I smiled back. "Not TOO adventurous. And no squid."

Ranger gave me a smile and turned his attention to the menu. I looked at it too, started to ask him what a couple of listed items were, then changed my mind. Maybe I'd be better off not knowing.

The waitress returned with our tea, followed by a young man carrying a large tray loaded down with small bowls of soup and salad. After delivering our tea the waitress moved back to the other side of the table, and as the young man served the bowls, she began to take the entrée orders.

Four of the diners had the unaccented speech of people from the Midwest. That and their slightly sunburned faces marked them as tourists, and Yoshi was teasing them about getting lost and calling for directions. They took it all cheerfully, laughing at their lack of map skills and complaining about the GPS gadget in their rental car. The other three were locals and were helpfully trying to explain where the street had changed names.

I smiled at the tourists, but the waitress had my attention. Evidently English was still new to her because she was struggling to understand each person's order. The server was standing behind her and I could hear him occasionally repeat a word to her.

Of course Ranger noticed, too.

When she turned to Ranger he gave her a gentle smile and greeted her in Japanese. For a moment she looked surprised, then she gave him a bright smile and a slight bob of the head. Yoshi said something to her and nodded toward Ranger and her smile got even wider.

I'm sure there was a bemused look on my face as I listened as Ranger gave her our order in her own language, but the rest of the table was watching with open curiosity. I felt like laughing but just smiled and gave a slight shrug when they looked at me. Yoshi nodded toward Ranger and smiled at the diners, saying simply, "He's a friend of mine."

The waitress gave Ranger another little head-bob and took off with the server in her wake. Curiosity satisfied, everyone's attentions turned back to food, and the diners began looking for utensils and trying to figure out what was in the bowls.

Each place was set with a large cloth napkin, an American fork, an oriental-style ceramic spoon, disposable chopsticks, and several small bowls of condiments. Everyone had gotten the same soup and salad. Yoshi said something to the table in general about fetching ingredients. I had just put my napkin in my lap when he turned, leaned across the hot grill and snatched away the forks at our two settings, and took off for the kitchen area cackling smugly.

My jaw dropped. Ranger muttered something under his breath. I didn't have to understand Japanese to know it hadn't been polite, and it startled me into a laugh. I managed to turn it into a choking sound but it didn't fool Ranger. He turned with a rueful look on his face.

"So much for a _quiet_ dinner," he said. "Yoshi's sense of humor is on a par with Lester's. Remind me never to introduce them - the east coast wouldn't survive it."

I found it was possible to groan and snicker at the same time. "Oh, god," I said after a moment, "I can just imagine them loose in Trenton."

"Bite your tongue," Ranger commanded.

I snickered again but then tried to turn serious. "Okay, problem here. I'm sure you know how to eat with chopsticks, but other than stabbing things I don't," I confessed. "Should I ask the waitress to bring back my fork?"

Instead Ranger gave me a quick lesson on using chopsticks - _hashi_, he said they were called in Japanese - and since Yoshi's antics had put Ranger center-stage at our table everyone else followed suit. The lone man next to Ranger was proficient but everyone else was like me, a beginner. There was a lot of laughter and the occasional muffled curse as we all tried to eat our salads. Several bites were dropped and one even flipped out onto the grill - I didn't see who, it wasn't me! - but only a couple of the tourists went back to their forks. I surprised myself and did pretty good. Of course it helped that the salad was held together by a slightly sticky sweet dressing. I identified shredded broccoli and mushrooms, and decided the purple shreds had to be red cabbage, but I couldn't place the crunchy bright-yellow stuff. Ranger told me it was _t__akuan, _pickled daikon radish. I'd never heard of takuan, but I vaguely remembered that diakon radishes looked a lot like big white carrots.

So far so good.

Before we finished, Yoshi came back. He was carrying a small rectangular tray crowded with several kinds of sushi. He placed the small tray in front of Ranger and turned to take a larger tray from the young server who'd followed him to the table. The large tray held the same assortment, enough for each person at the table to try each type, and Yoshi offered it to the table at large. The tourists tentativly took a couple.

Hmm, I don't remember ever being offered sushi at the other Japanese steakhouse… I turned to Ranger with a question on my lips only to find his face carefully blank, and my suspicion changed to near-certainty.

"Did you buy sushi for the whole table just to get me to try it?" I didn't think he'd answer, much less admit it. I was wrong.

"Did it work?"

I laughed out loud and he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He knew me so well.

Each piece of sushi was smaller than what I'd seen before, just bite-sized, and each one was a tiny work of art. There were small squares of rice topped with something brownish that resembled melted plastic held together with thin strips of dark green crepe-paper-looking stuff. Circles of rice with flowers in the center made from green onions and what I now recognized as takuan, with the edges again bound with the green stuff. Taller green tubes with rice at the bottom and topped with clear golden balls which, _after_ I ate it, Ranger told me was salmon roe - fish eggs. Bright yellow pinwheels of sweetened fried egg. And innocuous-looking little balls of rice that hid a center so sour it made my eyes water.

I tried one of each of them, following Ranger's example of eating them in one bite. Much to my surprise I found I liked most of them, especially the sour ones after the first shock wore off. The only one I didn't care for was the fish-egg one, and I think that was more because of the texture of the eggs than the taste. I couldn't decide whether to be astonished or horrified when I was told the green paper-looking stuff was _nori_ - _**seaweed**_!

Ranger was smiling, and I realized that I'd made him happy. He'd asked me to try something weird and different, and _to please him_, I had. My heart turned over in my chest and I realized I was in deep trouble. I had to remind myself again that he wasn't mine for keeps.

The ingredients for the main course arrived and Yoshi once again captured everyone's attention. He double-checked the orders to make sure he knew who wanted what, and went into show-off mode. Ranger was right - he did remind me of Lester, smart mouth and all.

Yoshi pretended to name the ingredients as he worked, knives flashing as he chopped vegetables and sliced chunks of various meats. He juggled everything. Neither his hands or his mouth was ever still. He built a 'volcano' from slices of onion, filled it with something and lit it, then juggled two knives and a spatula while it burned. He called something out to Ranger, but before he could even answer one of the knives sailed across the table. Ranger snatched it out of the air with a small hiss of annoyance and tossed it back without breaking the rhythm, and the startled spectators _oohed_ and clapped. Then Yoshi turned to one of the tourists and asked "you next?" The man ducked, and everyone laughed.

The four from the midwest got their food first - teriyaki chicken with fried rice. The other three also got fried rice, one with steak and shrimp, the other two with shrimp and scallops. Our food was last.

I hadn't recognized the name of the dish earlier, so I watched the ingredients being assembled with anticipation. A chunk of beef was seared while a piece of chicken was diced up and shrimp were peeled. Then the beef was sliced and diced and scallops were added. When a tube-like section with suckers landed on the grill I shot Ranger a look. Yoshi intercepted it and held it back up for me to see.

"Not squid," he assured me. "Octopus!"

Ranger tried to look innocent and I laughed.

The vegetables were chopped so quickly I barely saw them. Celery, onions, carrots, daikon radish, something that looked like grass and smelled like lemons. Seasonings and sauces added. White rice was heated on the side, then sprinkled with seaweed confetti, sesame seeds, and other spices I couldn't identify.

Yoshi served it up onto our plates with a florish and a smile, then turned to clean the grill with the speed of long practice. He checked with everyone to make sure their food was to their liking, then took off.

I tasted with caution at first, especially the oddly textured ring of octopus. It was all strange at first but it was a good strange. I smiled at Ranger's inquiring look then settled down to eat.

The others at the table took off as they finished eating until finally we were alone. When our plates were nearly empty Yoshi came back with a fresh pot of tea and joined us for a cup. Ranger chided him about the knife trick but Yoshi just laughed. Then he asked me if I'd liked the sushi, and what I'd thought of the octopus.

After a bit, another grill table was being seated and Yoshi regretfully took his leave. "It has been too long, my friend. Come back again soon and bring Stephanie. I owe her a sake story!"

_**TBC…**_

_The information about sushi I learned from Cyi, the Japanese exchange student that lived with us for almost a year. She taught us some simple food recipes and some phrases and words in Japanese, and we enjoyed her time with us. She's back home in Japan now and sometimes I really miss her!_

_Let me know what you think. Have you had enough 'normal' stuff? Should Ranger and Stephanie get back to 'real life' in Trenton? Thanks for reading!_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer: Characters property of JE and are used without permission.**_

_**Chapter 13**_

The sun was getting low in the sky by the time we left the steakhouse and between my full stomach and Ranger's usual silent driving I almost fell asleep. Fortunately it was only about fifteen minutes before we were turning into the driveway of Tank's house.

I got out of the car without waiting for Ranger to come around to my door and just looked around curiously for a few minutes. I was surprised to see that the brick fence of the backyard extended behind the carport although there was at least six feet of open area in between. Ranger was watching me, an amused look in his eyes.

"Want to explore a little, Babe?"

He knew my curiosity was killing me. I wanted to deny being nosy but he knew me too well to buy it, so I took the hand he held out and we walked out of the carport toward the front of the house.

The gravel drive actually had a circle turn-around in front of the house. A small covered porch sheltered the front entry with its matching stained glass door. The house wasn't much to look at from the outside, sort of a plain gray ranch with an easy-care landscape of shrubs, ornamental and low-growing grass. From the other side of the house you could see the gate in the brick fence. Several posts were set in concrete near the back, as if another fence was planned.

"Tank intends to fence this area, too. He likes dogs."

I was surprised that Ranger was volunteering information, and confused about what he'd said. My confusion must have been clear on my face because he backed up a little and explained more.

"Our old unit - the core men at RangeMan - is under contract to the government but the contract expires in a few months. We've agreed not to extend or re-sign. Once we're clear Tank wants to cut back his hours and live here. He'd like to have a couple of dogs, so he's planned space for them."

I was listening and had no intention of interrupting but I was still surprised when Ranger kept talking, leading me back around the house to the carport door, opening it and ushering me inside.

"He bought this place about five years ago," he continued. "The house was solid but hadn't been kept up, and the property had been allowed to go wild. He's spent nearly all his off time since then reclaiming the yard and remodeling the house. The pool went in this spring."

"When does he have time off? It seems like you're both always working," I said, trailing my fingers across the dark wooden tabletop.

"We each get a four-day 'weekend' off each month, even when business is crazy. Lack of downtime is not good for morale. When things are slow several of us would come out and help. And like I said, our contract is nearly up. Once it's no longer hanging over our heads we can hire and train a few more men and we'll all get to go to a more regular schedule."

"So you'll spend less time as 'street' Ranger and more time as "CEO" Ranger?" I asked, and his grin flashed.

"Something like that, but it still won't be a traditional nine-to-five kind of job."

I tried to imagine Tank as some sort of suit-wearing executive and just couldn't. Ranger looked damned good in a suit and he'd make an excellent executive, but I couldn't see him sitting behind a desk for days at a stretch. Not for a few more years anyway. He was a predator, not a house cat.

He interrupted my musings. "Go ahead and look around. I need to call and check in with Tank. Want to meet me at the pool when you've had your prowl?"

"Sure," I agreed. Ranger headed out the back door, pulling his phone from his pocket, and I turned in a circle looking for where to start.

I could see the whole living-dining-kitchen area from where I stood because it was all open. The leather furniture looked just as comfortable and inviting as it had last night. There were blinds instead of formal drapes on the windows, the carpet was lush, and the side and coffee tables were sturdy wooden ones that looked as if they could easily handle being used as seating or footstools occasionally. The entertainment center was nice and didn't overwhelm the room, even with a big flat-panel TV, surround sound and a DVD changer. There were bookshelves bracketing it on either side that held a good number of books, some scattered keepsakes - one was a signed football - and several framed photos. One was four men in uniforms…Tank, Ranger, Lester, and Bobby. They were grinning for the camera and looked young but exhausted and very dirty, with a sort of grimness around their eyes that made me wonder where they'd been.

The living area was open to the rafters, but over the bedroom area there was a loft. A simple metal spiral stair led up to it. Exploring, I found the loft had been divided in two, with a large open area in front mostly finished, if sparsely furnished, as an office with a computer and a high-tech printer/fax/everything else machine on a folding table. Obviously it was still a work-in-progress, at least until he was spending more time here.

The second area, behind the office, was roughed in and the walls were primed, but the floor was bare and the room was empty. Two doors led to smaller rooms, one with pipes sticking out of various places and obviously intended to be another bathroom. The other room was probably a closet.

Back downstairs, I headed down the short hall to the bedrooms. I'd assumed we were in the master bedroom because of its size and the nice bathroom, but I was wrong. The second bedroom had my jaw dropping.

A massive wooden canopy bed took pride of place in the middle of the room. Tables in matching dark wood stood on either side holding lamps, and one had a tall thin digital alarm clock. There were sliding glass doors on the wall looking out over the back yard. The drape on the sliding door and the bed hangings were a rich cream, and the cream comforter was quilted with touches of sage and terracotta. A pair of sage-colored easy chairs bracketed a table.

There was a huge walk-in closet, well-lighted, with built-in drawers and corner cabinets with mirrored doors. Tank's clothes only took up about one-sixth of the hanging space -- and I didn't open any drawers. I didn't know Tank well enough to be _that_ nosy.

The master bath was a bigger, too. The shower was nearly the same, as was the double-sink vanity, but there was a corner Jacuzzi tub added in this one. I had to grin - it was big enough to hold four people…or maybe a massive Tank and a generously-sized Lula.

There was a small laundry room hidden behind louvered doors in between the two bedrooms, and a coat closet in the hall. No basement door, though, so I'd peeked at everything. I headed to the backyard to meet Ranger.

I stopped dead with one foot on the patio. Darkness had fallen and the backyard had been transformed.

I stepped the rest of the way out and let the door shut behind me, looking around in surprise. Fat citronella candles in punched-metal holders hung from brackets spaced around the brick fence, and Ranger was adding wood to a fire burning in a free-standing fire bowl of copper on a wrought-iron base. Behind him on the low table between the Adirondack chairs there was a tray with various bottles, glasses, and a covered ice bucket. A stack of pool towels was on one of the chairs.

Ranger straightened and came towards me, brushing his hands off on his jeans. His hair was loose, his shirt was partially unbuttoned, and his feet were bare.

_Oh my god…_

I made a conscious effort to close my mouth but it was too late for the rest of me. He smiled and my body went warm and liquid, already beginning to ache for him. I kicked off my sandals and met him at the edge of the patio. He drew me into his arms and kissed me in such a way that I knew he'd been waiting all day for this, and I melted into him.

I felt a tug and then my hair was loose, and one long-fingered hand tunneled into it. His arms pressed me close and I could feel his warmth and the length of him hard against me. His mouth left mine to trail down the side of my neck. I heard something close to a growl just before he pulled back slightly.

"_Babe_…" he whispered before his lips captured mine again. We began to move slowly across the grass toward the fire, never quite breaking our embrace, leaving a trail of clothing behind as we slowly undressed each other - my shirt, my bra, then his shirt, and my shorts. My underwear ended up tangled with his jeans a step away from our destination, a towel on the grass near the fire. He kissed his way down my bare body until my knees gave away, then he eased me down.

In the flickering light of the fire he really did look like some pagan god as he rose over me, his eyes intent. His loose hair shadowed his face, and the firelight made his skin gleam gold. I wanted to remember every second of this and fought to keep my eyes open even as I felt his first deep thrust. I managed, barely, but I was already too close to the edge to hold out any longer. The next thrust sent me over and from there on I was lost in sensations. There was the silk of his hair dragging over my skin, the tug of his lips and the occasional scrape of his teeth. The slow deep glide of skin on skin, the nubby texture of the towel beneath my back and the springy coolness of the grass. The scents of wood smoke and citronella combined with Ranger. The heat of his skin against mine, and his cry of completion. I'd never forget any of it.

…oOo…oOo…oOo…

We laid on our sides, still entangled, sweat drying on our skin. The night had cooled and the breeze was almost chilly on my overheated skin. I curled tighter against Ranger's warmth and his arms tightened around me again.

"Cold, Babe?" His voice was low and lazy.

"Not anymore." I smiled against his neck, then kissed it for good measure, and was rewarded with a low chuckle.

"You know, we could go get in the hot tub to warm up."

"Hot tub?"

I hadn't seen a hot tub this morning… Then again, I'd been distracted by a naked Ranger swimming in the pool. A few minutes later Ranger lifted me to my feet and sure enough, there was a hot tub, set into the ground between the pool and a small outbuilding.

Ranger got me settled into the warm bubbling water and went back for the towels. When he came back he brought drinks, too -- something citrus and sparkling with mint and a hint of rum. It was a variation of a mojito, he told me, something of a family recipe.

I nearly went to sleep in the tub, held safely in Ranger's arms. Between the company, the drink, the sex, and the heat of the water I was more relaxed than I could ever remember. The second time my head lolled he woke me with a laugh.

"Okay, enough hot water for you. Let's get out before you drown."

We climbed out of the water and Ranger wrapped me in a dry towel. The chill of the air felt good now.

Ranger tried to get me to go on into the house, but I wanted to wait for him. So he sat me in one of the chairs and I watched as he walked the fence snuffing out the candles, turning the hot tub off at a control on the side of the outbuilding, and carried a domed lid over to the copper fire pit. The fire was down to coals, I noticed as he put the lid in place, so maybe we'd been in the hot tub longer than I thought.

When he bent to pick up the towel on the grass my eyes caught on the tangle of his jeans. I followed the clothes across the yard and laughed softly to myself. Talk about leaving a trail!

_TBC…_


	14. Chapter 14

Happy Labor Day Weekend! Here's some more smut to tide you over (or ease you back into the week!). ;0

_Disclaimer: Stephanie, Ranger, Tank and Lula are all property of JE and used (!) without permission. They will be reluctantly returned unharmed._

…_oOo…oOo…oOo…_

_**Chapter 14**_

Ranger heard me laugh and his eyes flicked up to me, then followed my gaze to the trail. His lips curved up at the corners and he reached for my hands, pulling me out of the chair and back into his arms. He kissed me until I started to melt, then reluctantly pulled back.

"We'd better get inside soon. Now that the candles are out the local mosquito population will be moving back in, and I don't want anything but me biting you tonight."

That startled me into a laugh. "Hey, no biting allowed!" I chided. "It's too hot to be wearing turtlenecks."

"Who said anything about your neck?" Ranger asked as he bent to pick up his jeans.

I squeaked and made a dash for the house on suddenly wobbly knees, managing to scoop up the scattered clothes as I ran. Ranger caught up before I reached the door, though, and opened it for me, taking the clothes and dumping them with the used towels on the kitchen floor. The next thing I knew I was slung over his shoulder and he was headed for the bedroom.

"If you bite me, I'm biting back!" I threatened. Ranger just laughed. Without a second thought I tugged his towel off. I got sidetracked for a moment just admiring his butt then remembered my intention. My head wasn't down far enough to bite, though, so I satisfied myself by first cupping him, then playfully pinching. He made a sound like a growl and suddenly I found myself flying though the air and landing on the bed with a bounce.

Ranger stood at the foot of the bed, naked, with my towel dangling from one hand. As I watched breathlessly he dropped the towel and began to slowly crawl up the bed between my legs, pushing them apart as he advanced. His eyes met mine in challenge as his head lowered.

He started first kissing, then gently biting, at the insides of my knees. He bit hard enough to dent my skin, but not hard enough to bruise, and I couldn't believe how good it felt in a bizarre sort of way. In less than a minute I was wet and aching.

I writhed under the assault and Ranger looked up my body with eyes gone very dark, smiling a challenge. I reached for him, trying to pull him up. Instead I found my hands caught and held firmly. Ranger's eyes held mine as he slowly bit me again. I opened my mouth to protest but what came out was a garbled moan.

"You like this," he said softly, wonderingly, his voice a low sexy rumble. His smile grew. "Oh, Babe, this is going to be so much fun…"

The look on his face as looked up my body made me shiver in nervous anticipation, then he lowered his head.

He covered my thighs with licks, bites, and kisses, going back several times as if to make sure he didn't miss any skin, particularly at the back of my knees. He skirted the crease where leg met body, not touching me where I most ached, and worked his way up my belly to my breasts. I was nearly incoherent as he ringed my breasts with bites and when his mouth closed on my nipple I felt everything inside me tighten.

Instead of biting, he used just the tip of his tongue to trace circles on my nipple, barely touching the skin. It puckered and my back arched. He blew on it and it tightened, and he repeated the pattern on the other side. He went back and forth again and I was begging, and he moved down again, finally turning his attention to my weeping, aching core.

The first orgasm followed the first sweep of his tongue, and one blended into another as he pushed my thighs up and apart, opening me for his play. I heard his groans, felt the vibrations from his mouth on my most sensitive parts, as I climaxed for him again and again.

I couldn't speak, could barely breathe when at last he shifted over me, the hardness of him pushing into me while I still spasmed, setting off another chain of orgasms.

"Oh, god, yes, Stephanie, come for me. Keep coming for me, Babe," Ranger whispered raggedly into my ear as he kissed and bit at my neck, his body driving deeply into mine.

As if I could do anything else!

My back arched and one of his hands slid beneath me, holding me in position. With his other arm he held most of his weight off me as he thrust deep and slow, playing me, building me to a pinnacle. Every time I got close he'd slow down, go to shallow thrusts, until I would have screamed if I'd had the breath. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more I felt him begin to tremble. His thrusts grew more forceful. He twisted, somehow, and managed to take one breast into his mouth, sucking hard, then harder, until I was coming and so was he and he bit down and I exploded with such force that I'm pretty sure the top of my head came off….

…oOo…oOo…oOo…

_TBC…_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer: Not my characters, etc, I'm just making them do what I want for a change…**_

_A/N: Hope everyone is having a safe and fun weekend! I seem to be on a roll and just hope it lasts until I can get this story finished. Almost there!_

…_oOo…oOo…oOo…_

_**Chapter 15 **_

I vaguely remembered getting untangled from Ranger and making a quick trip to the bathroom. But as soon as I lay back down and was tucked in against him, I was out for the count, and didn't wake until he woke me. Not that I minded - he woke me slowly, with kisses.

The clock by the bed said it was a little after nine - fairly early for me but late for Ranger. I was surprised he was still in bed. A little later, when we finally got partially dressed and made it into the kitchen, I discovered he'd been up early and had gone to go food shopping before slipping back into bed to wake me so sweetly.

"I can't believe you did this," I said, smiling as he poured coffee. He'd gotten donuts for me and some healthy-looking muffins for himself. When I went to get the creamer I found salad and sandwich fixings and a six-pack each of Coke and beer in the fridge.

"It was self-motivated. I want you all to myself today."

He was smiling _that_ smile, the one that made women walk into walls around him. It always melted me. Add in what he'd just admitted out loud, and, well, I didn't stand a chance.

Not that I was about to complain.

We carried our coffee and baked goods to the bistro table and chairs on the patio and ate in the shade of the overhang. It was sunny today but still slightly cool, so after we ate we migrated to the chairs in the sun to drink a second cup of coffee. We started out talking about movies but conversation had lagged, leaving us in comfortable silence. The sun soaking into my skin was making me drowsy despite all the caffeine and sugar I'd just consumed. I had on a Ranger-size tee-shirt from the guest room closet and my underwear, with my legs stretched out in front of me. Ranger mirrored my pose wearing only a pair of blue-jean cutoffs.

I turned my head just enough to see Ranger. It was so rare to see him like this that I just wanted to watch him breathe. But this was Ranger, and after a few quiet minutes the corner of his mouth started to tilt up.

"Babe, I'm not doing anything. Why are you watching me?" he asked without opening his eyes.

I grinned. "_Because_ you're not doing anything. I don't think I've ever seen you do that before."

His grin widened but his eyes stayed closed. "It's a skill I'm trying to re-learn."

"Good." I sighed contentedly and settled into a more comfortable slouch.

Probably half an hour passed in comfortable quiet, the warmth of the sun and the hum of the pool pumps making me drowsy. The sound didn't register with me until Ranger moved.

His phone was ringing. He didn't have it on him as he normally did, he actually had to get up and look around for it, finding it on the patio table where we'd eaten. He looked at the caller ID as he picked it up and his blank face went down. That and his posture told me he didn't want to answer this call, but he did, sitting in one of the bistro chairs as he listened. A few minutes and very few words later he flipped the phone shut and sighed.

"Problem?" I asked, keeping my tone light. I was surprised when he actually answered.

"Not really a problem, just-- I'm going to have to be gone for a while." He sounded unhappy, not something I'd ever heard in his voice before.

"The government's calling you in before their time runs out, right?" I guessed.

A rueful smile crossed his face as he came over and pulled me out of the chair and into his arms. "Got it in one. I guess it was too much to hope that the last of the contract would run out without something coming up."

"Do we need to leave now?" I kept my voice calm and tried not to look anxious. These assignments were dangerous. I hoped to have a little more time before he had to go, but I was determined not to fuss or cry - I didn't want him leaving with that picture of me in his mind.

I felt him drop a kiss on the top of my head before he answered. "No, I don't have to report until Monday. We'll need to leave tomorrow afternoon, though, because I promised Tank he could take the night off. I don't want to let him down, especially since he'll have to take over until I get back."

_'Thank you, God,'_ I said silently as I leaned back in Ranger's arms and smiled up at him. "Well, that gives us more than 24 hours...what would you like to do?"

His eyes darkened, and his hands slid under the bottom on my tee-shirt. "I think we should go skinny-dipping," he said.

So we did.

...oOo...oOo...oOo...

We played in the pool for almost an hour. I nearly drowned myself a couple of times laughing. Ranger was being playful.

When my fingers started getting pruney we got out and ate a salad lunch on the patio wearing just our towels.

I stretched out on my stomach on a towel in the grass afterwards. It wasn't often I had the chance to get sun without tan lines. Ranger went back into the house for a few minutes and came back with a bottle of tanning lotion.

"Don't want you to burn," he said as he knelt next to me, and then he proceeded to drizzle cold lotion down the center of my back. From the way he laughed at my shriek he'd known it was cold and had done it on purpose. Once he had his hands on me I forgave him, though. Instead of just slathering the sunscreen on he turned it into a massage -- one that started out relaxing and turned decidedly sensual as he worked his way down my body.

His voice was low and husky when he asked me to turn over. I watched him through my lashes as he started at my feet and moved up, finding myself once again trying to memorize everything about the moment. He worked the lotion into my legs thoroughly up to my thighs then skipped to my arms. When he drizzled lotion across my breasts my gasp had less to do with the chill of the lotion than the heat in his eyes.

He did my shoulders first, thoroughly. And he noticed I was watching.

"Put your hands behind your head," he ordered as he slid his hands down, stopping just short of my breasts. He waited unmoving until I complied. Then he spread his hands wide, cupping the base of my breasts, and gently squeezed, letting his hands slide up slowly, slowly, until fingers and thumbs met at my nipples. With his eyes steady on my face he finished with a little twisting pinch, and my back arched involuntarily as I gasped.

"Don't move," he ordered again as he repositioned his hands. "Keep your hands where they are."

He repeated the motion more slowly, adding a tug at the end that had me crying out.

I didn't think his eyes could get any hotter, but they did. "Open your legs for me," he demanded, and watched them slowly part. "Wider. I want to see all of you open for me."

God! I was already wet for him, and the rough edge in his voice was almost enough to put me over. But I did as he ordered, bringing my knees up and digging my heels into the grass then let my knees fall wide.

Ranger got up and moved to stand at my feet, dropping his towel. The sun was behind him now, throwing his face into shadow and hiding his expression from me.

"Don't move," he repeated and then knelt, shifting forward until his knees were touching my thighs. Then he reached up to continue his torturously sensual massage.

I could see all of him now. I watched the muscles of his shoulders, chest, and abs move as he rubbed and squeezed and tugged. He was so close his erection brushed against me when he leaned forward, and I wanted nothing more than to pull him down to me. But he told me not to move so I wouldn't. Even if it was killing me.

Now that he had my breasts nicely swollen and aching, he moved down. He worked lotion into my torso with slow, sure strokes, working down across my ribs and stomach steadily toward my pelvis. I was swollen and dripping by the time he finally slid one thumb through the curls to find my most sensitive nub.

"Ranger!" I gasped. "Oh, god, Ranger! Please!"

He gave a little grunt of satisfaction at my cry, but his movements slowed even though his thumb continued to work the swollen nub. I was straining up into his hand, on the very edge of orgasm when he stopped, his hands moving to slide back up my torso to my breasts.

I gave a little sob of frustration. Ranger hushed me as his fingers worked my nipples again. "Wait for it, Babe. I want you crazy for me."

_Like I wasn't already?_

He repeated the process twice more, until I was writhing mindlessly under his hands. A mere breath in the right place would have put me over when he stopped.

"Give me your hands." I barely recognized his voice but I immediately obeyed. Strong hands pulled me up and I felt him lie down beside me. "Mount me. I want to feel you slide down on me, skin to skin."

My inner muscles began to clench in anticipation. Finally! He still held my wrists, though, so I couldn't use my hands. My legs were shaking but I managed to get to my knees and do as he asked. I was swollen tight with arousal and a little tender from the last few days, but I was so wet I slid down on him easily even as I moaned at the pressure.

"God, Babe," he whispered as I rotated my hips to settle him deeper. He took a couple of panting breaths and I knew he'd almost come. Another deep breath, then he murmured, so low I barely heard, "I'd like to handcuff you like this and watch you ride me."

"I didn't bring them with me," I gasped.

There was a moment of stunned silence. I guess he hadn't meant to say that out loud. "You'd let me?" he asked.

"_Yes_." I'd let him do almost anything!

He twisted, reached for his shorts. A minute later I felt the chill of metal as he clasped the cuffs loosely around my wrists. Then, with a low sound of satisfaction, he moved his hands back to my breasts and proceeded to kneed, pluck, and twist until I was writhing. One hand dipped to thumb my clit, and that was it. I came so hard I lost my balance.

Ranger caught me, sliding his hands up my ribs to cup just under my breasts, holding me upright. His thumbs rubbed back and forth across my nipples, drawing out my orgasm and setting off another, and another, until at last he couldn't hold out any longer and I felt the hot rush of his release as he spasmed inside me, gasping. Then, arms shaking, he eased me gently down onto his chest as we struggled for breath.

After a few minutes he shifted, managing to unfold my legs and stretch them out so that I was laying full length on top of him. He removed the handcuffs and rubbed my arms and shoulders as I moved them to a more comfortable position. Then his arms went around me, anchoring me in place with him still inside me, and beneath me I felt him relax.

"I love you, Stephanie," I heard him whisper into my hair. "_Usted es todas mis fantasías viene a la vida."_

_TBC…_


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/N: Last chapter of their alone-time… **_

_Disclaimer: Familiar characters property of JE and used without permission. I thought they deserved a little vacation!_

…oOo…

_**Chapter 16**_

I must have actually gone to sleep that way, at least for a while. Ranger woke me gently some time later, afraid I'd get sunburned, and helped me shift off of him and stretch out on my back. He stretched out beside me for half an hour, then made a trip inside and came back out with drinks.

Deciding I'd risked enough sun on my tender bits, I got up and wrapped myself in a towel, making myself comfortable in one of the Adirondack chairs to sip my Coke. Ranger resumed his former seat, too.

"I should call Tank and let him know about Monday," he said.

I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or not, so I just made a sound of agreement.

I heard Ranger making the call on his cell. I was vaguely aware of his voice but not really listening, so I was a little surprised when he nudged me with his foot to get my attention. 

"Hmm?"

Ranger grinned. "Babe… Would you like for us to meet Tank and Lula for dinner tomorrow evening?"

As couples? Was that what he was asking? "Sure." My brain woke up then and I held up my hand before he could say anything into the phone. "Wait! Did Tank tell Lula that I was here with you?"

Ranger gave me an odd half-smile but he asked Tank the question, then shook his head at me. "No. Why, Babe?"

Possible pictures of Lula's face when she realized I'd been with Ranger flashed through my mind's eye, and I grinned.

"Ask Tank if he'll just tell her that I'll meet them for a drink or something."

Ranger muted the phone, giving me a weird look. "Didn't you tell Lula you were going out with me?"

"No. She knew I had a date, but I didn't tell her who. The gossip would have been all over before you even picked me up and I didn't want to jinx anything. Besides, it'll be more fun to surprise her."

Ranger laughed and shook his head, then repeated the request to Tank. From the chuckles on Ranger's end of the call I guess Tank thought it would be funny, too. They agreed on a place and time and Ranger hung up.

He got up and came over to my chair, leaning over to kiss me lightly. "Come on, we'd better go inside. I don't want you to get sunburned."

I agreed and headed into the house. He wanted to make sure everything was put away and the pool pumps put back on their normal cycle before he came in.

I took a quick, cool shower and towel-dried my hair, running conditioner through it and hoping for the best. I was contemplating the growing pile of laundry we were accumulating when Ranger came back into the bedroom. The pile was mostly towels, but still... I didn't like leaving a mess for Tank.

"Does Tank do his own housework?"

"Sometimes. But there's a woman that lives nearby that cleans for him, too. She's already been asked to come in tomorrow afternoon, so don't worry about it."

"Ok," I agreed, relieved. I really appreciated Tank letting us borrow his house and if no arrangements had been made, as much as I hate housework, I would have washed the towels and sheets and cleaned before we left.

Ranger must have read my mind because he smiled at me and shook his head before he headed in to take his own shower.

I found a pair of panties and put them on, noting there was only one more pair clean. I surveyed my remaining clean clothes trying to decide what to put on. There was a blue tee-shirt and a pair of jeans, and the short black skirt. The skirt would do for dinner tomorrow but the tee-shirt didn't really go with it… I shrugged and pulled on the shirt, leaving the last clean bra for tomorrow. I'd figure out something.

Ranger put on a sleeveless shirt and a pair of baggy basketball shorts that had seen better days. I wrestled with my curiosity several minutes as I watched him dress, but it got the best of me.

"Are those your clothes?" I finally asked.

He looked down at himself before he answered, as if he wasn't quite sure what he'd put on.

"No… I think the shirt was Santos' and the shorts came from Woody," he said. "When we were coming out to help Tank on a fairly regular basis we all brought some clothes -- old stuff to work in and something decent to change into if we went out. Most of them got left behind and are sort of community property now. Why?"

I was laughing and didn't bother trying to hide it. "I just couldn't see you ever buying those shorts."

Ranger smiled. "Maybe in high school." He put one arm around my waist and urged me out of the bedroom and down the hall. "Come on. Tank said something about buying new DVDs and I want to see what he got."

"Do we have popcorn?" Hey, I had my priorities.

"I put it in the cabinet above the microwave."

He headed for the living room entertainment center, and I went to the kitchen. Sure enough, he'd gotten microwave popcorn on his grocery shopping trip. It was even butter flavor. I started one bag popping and unwrapped another, and found a huge plastic bowl one shelf up. It held both bags with room left over. I grabbed a couple of beers and the bowl and went back to see what he'd found.

A cabinet door was open revealing a large and varied selection of DVD boxes. Ranger had pulled out four and lined them up on the coffee table.

"What, no _Ghostbusters_?" I teased, and laughed when he gave me a pained look. He'd sat through my cure-all favorite several times with me.

"I don't think Tank has a copy of it. I haven't seen these yet, do any of them appeal to you?"

My eyes went to _Sahara_. I'd seen it once and loved it, certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again, and I thought Ranger might like it. I pointed to it with a beer bottle.

"That one is good. The two main guys are supposed to be ex-special forces so you may have to keep in mind that they're really just actors. But the story is good and it's very funny in places."

"_Sahara_ it is," he said, picking it up and popping the box open. "I saw previews once on another DVD, and it looked pretty good."

Ranger loaded it into the player and took command of a big run-everything remote and zapped the widescreen TV on. We settled on the sofa together as the previews ran, finding a good place to balance the popcorn, and Ranger opened my beer for me. The menu screen came on and Ranger pushed play.

"Pay attention to all the junk on the walls and stuff -- it doesn't seem important but it makes everything else make more sense later," I said softly just as the opening music started. Ranger nodded. He probably would have noticed anyway. He never missed much.

He actually enjoyed the movie and even said the actors didn't do a bad job of being "ex-special forces" types. He'd worked with a few as crazy as they were - and some of them were still alive.

We took a break to stretch and share a few kisses, then went looking for food again. Instead of making a meal we made a variety of sandwiches, opened a couple of bags of raw veggies, and I found light salad dressing to substitute for dip. We settled back into our places and watched _The Bourne Identity_, and then started _War of the Worlds_. Tom Cruise couldn't hold a candle to Ranger, though, and I started nodding off halfway through.

The third time I started awake, Ranger was shutting the DVD down.

"I'm okay, you can finish watching--" I started, and was interrupted by a yawn.

"It's okay, Babe. It's getting late, and we should get some sleep."

While Ranger put away the DVDs and shut down the electronics, I carried our empty bottles and used dishes into the kitchen and then headed down the hall. My first stop was the bathroom to brush my teeth and take care of other nighttime necessities. When I walked back into the bedroom I found Ranger on the bed in the middle of a spine-popping stretch. His shirt had pulled up, revealing his perfect abs and the end of an old thin scar that ran across his ribs. It was a sight worth a stare or two, even when he relaxed and let himself go limp.

I smiled and stepped close to where his head hung off the edge of the bed, smiling at him upside-down. "You look relaxed."

"Mmm," he agreed, barely opening his eyes and returning my smile with a slow curve of his lips. "Come to bed, Babe. I want to hold you while we sleep."

How could I turn down that invitation?

A few minutes later we were settling into bed together. I didn't have time to feel awkward about it before Ranger slid closer and tucked me up against him. And it felt right.

"Goodnight, _querida_," Ranger whispered into my hair. Then he sighed and I felt him gradually relax against me, his breathing slowing as he slipped into sleep.

As tired as I'd been earlier I was strangely alert now. I lay quietly, savoring the feel and sounds and scents of being held securely in Ranger's arms. For an hour or more I just listened to him breathe, until, finally, sleep took me, too.

_TBC…_


	17. Chapter 17

_**A/N: For Cindy, who cheerfully threatened to stake out my house until I posted again. I hope you have a vomit-free day!**_

_Disclaimer: Stephanie and Ranger belong to JE, but they're having too much fun to go home just yet…_

_**Chapter 17**_

I surfaced slowly to the sound of rain and the rumble of far-off thunder. The bed was warm and comfortable and I was content, lingering in a semi-conscious haze.

Ranger's warmth was missing from my skin, though, and after a while I started to wonder if he was already up. The drumming of the rain masked any sounds he might be making - not that he ever made much. Reluctantly I opened one eye to search for the bedside clock.

The room was dim but the clock was illuminated, and it was still fairly early. Well, at least it was earlier than I usually wake up without assistance. But it was raining so Ranger wouldn't be swimming... Would he?

I started to roll over into my thinking position and discovered I was pretty much sore all over. So, instead of my usual flop onto my back, I rolled slowly-- and found myself next to a still-sleeping Ranger.

This had to be a major first. Ranger never seemed to sleep late; even when I knew he'd been out half of the night on a job he was awake early. My first instinct was to touch him to make sure he was okay but I caught myself. I didn't want to wake him up. He had to be tired. Last night was the first time he'd gone to sleep before me, and I knew he'd been getting up early - heck, he'd even gone grocery-shopping one morning before I woke up! So I stayed still and just watched him breathe.

I thought he would look different when he was asleep. Most people do. They look younger while so relaxed, softer somehow. Helpless in sleep, people drool or snore or sleep with their mouths open. Not Ranger. But he did look different, somehow, and after I thought about it for a while I realized it was because I couldn't see his eyes. His eyes were very compelling when he was awake. When you looked at his face, you saw his eyes.

Now, I realized that for all the time I'd spent trying to read Ranger's blank face, I'd never really _seen_ his face. Oh, I knew the way his features were arranged, the tiny wrinkles at the corners of his eyes that crinkled when he was smiling, and the luscious mocha-latte color of his skin, but I'd never noticed how perfectly shaped his eyebrows were or the hair-thin scar along the underside of his jaw. I'd seen his hair loose before, knew how soft it was and had even noticed it was faintly wavy, but I'd never noticed how it caught the light.

Ranger was lying on his side facing me, in much the same position he'd gone to sleep. It was hard to see him from my back so I carefully rolled onto my side to face him. His hand rested on the sheet between us at my waist.

From my new vantage point I let my eyes roam. I studied the smooth skin of his neck and felt myself flush when I noticed I'd left faint teeth marks on him. _Turn about is fair play,_ I thought to myself defensively. He'd left marks on me in _several_ places.

I admired his lean muscular frame. His neck and shoulders were well-muscled but weren't bulky the way weight-lifters got. They were more the hard, corded muscle of hard work. Even at rest he could be used as a visual aid for the musculature lecture in an anatomy class…

That thought conjured up visions of an oiled-up Ranger flexing, and it took me a minute to get back to my 'exploring'.

Ranger's shoulders were broad, and his chest was smooth and free of hair. I wondered if it was natural or if he got it waxed, then decided it was probably natural. I had a hard time picturing Ranger messing with nature there. But it made it easier to pick out the faint flaws of old scars. Like the one on his upper arm, where he'd been shot a couple of years ago helping me rescue Dougie and Mooner from a crazy woman. He healed very well, though, and the scar was barely noticeable.

My eyes drifted down to the thin scar across his ribs. How old was this? It was completely healed but still obvious enough to have caught my eye last night. Without thinking, I reached out to touch it.

"Knife."

His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, but it still made me jump. I looked up to find his eyes still closed, but his lips were curved.

"It was a long time ago," he continued, answering the question before I could ask.

Damned ESP again! I slid my fingers across his stomach and tried to pinch him, but he grabbed me and hauled me into his arms before I could get a good grip.

"Are you fondling me while I'm asleep?" he teased.

I folded my arms across his chest and propped my chin on them, looking up into his face with my best innocent look. "No. It's _my_ turn to explore _**you**_ -- it's only fair. Right?" He really couldn't argue. He'd been over every single inch of my body _several_ times. I pulled away and poked him in the chest. "Roll over. I want my turn."

Ranger grumbled and made a sound of protest that was part groan, part chuckle. But he turned over and gave me his back.

Wow! All those muscles flexing just under that yummy rich skin… I pulled the sheet down to the foot of the bed and settled in to explore, brushing his hair away from his neck so I'd have an unobstructed view.

I trailed my fingertips across the back of his neck, slowly, then down his spine, watching the muscles twitch beneath my touch. Retracing the path in reverse with a slightly firmer touch helped. For a moment I wondered just how sensitive his skin was and if he was ticklish, but I set those aside for now. I had an agenda.

I stroked the skin of his shoulders and back, gently at first. I found a couple more old scars but didn't linger over them. They were faint and well-healed. I increased the pressure and traced his muscles, turning my explorations into a massage. There was a knot under one shoulder-blade, and I kneaded it, slowly relaxing it and rubbing it away. Ranger gave a faint moan and he relaxed further into the mattress.

Working my way down I found a scar that looked a whole lot like he'd been stabbed, but it, too, was old. Just a lighter mark in his dark skin.

My hands glided down the curve of his back to his butt cheeks. He had a perfect derriere, small and tightly muscled but not too flat or too round. And just where his back met his cheeks he had thumbprint-sized dimples. They were irresistible.

I shifted my weight and bent, pressing kisses into each dimple. Ranger made another small sound, and his hands fisted in the pillow.

My exploration continued.

A light dusting of hair started here and continued down his legs - not much, just enough to tickle my fingertips. His thighs were hard with muscle, and I found the scar where he'd gotten shot with my gun the first time he'd helped me with a skip. From the scar it left, the wound had been a lot worse than the 'flesh wound' he'd claimed at the time. I traced it gently and pressed another kiss to the slightly puckered skin.

A thin white scar ran up the back of one calf, so faint I almost missed it. Either it was very old or it had been a minor injury. Further down I discovered his feet had calluses I recognized as being from martial arts - and he twitched when I ran my fingers down his instep. Hmm, so he was a _little_ ticklish! I filed that tidbit away for future use.

Now that I'd reached his toes, I started back up, this time using my hands, and lips, --and teeth and tongue. I kissed his scars, nipped at the back of his knees, and trailed kisses and love bites up his thighs. When I nipped one luscious cheek I heard him growl, and the muscles I was caressing shifted and clenched.

Smiling, I continued the assault, trailing my fingers down to play in the soft fur and tender flesh between his legs while I kissed his dimples again.

"Babe," he growled, shifting restlessly beneath my touch.

_Turnabout is fair play_, I thought again. I wondered if he could feel my smile as I kissed my way slowly up his back. I nipped the base of his neck, then whispered near his ear.

"Turn over."

He obeyed, his arms reaching out for me. I caught his wrists and pushed them back against the pillows. I knew I was only successful because he was letting me but that was okay. The point being he _was_ letting me.

I kissed him lightly, just a taste, before continuing. I only had so much control.

I explored his chest with fingertips and lips, revisiting the new scar on his neck and the old one on his ribs before nibbling briefly on his hard male nipples. His breathing changed then, and he crossed his arms over his face, hiding his expression from me. I did it again and watched his fingers curl into fists.

Deciding not to push my luck, I moved on down. I explored his abs with my lips, enjoying the dips and ridges. By the time I kissed his belly-button his erection was brushing my cheek.

I skipped to his feet and he groaned, and I couldn't stop the low chuckle that escaped. I kissed up his shins, found a half-moon shaped scar just below one knee. I alternated kisses and nips from his knees up to the top of his thighs, going slower and slower until he was writhing.

Then I licked him, from base to head, and he nearly arched off the bed.

I shifted to a better angle and took his tip into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it. Ranger made a strangled sound and got a death-grip on his pillows. I slid my mouth down further and trailed my fingers up his thigh, threading through the soft hair to find and stroke the tender skin, then gently cup his balls.

He quivered, and I felt him grow harder in my mouth. I wanted to smile but couldn't, so I moaned instead, and started gently pumping up and down, taking him as deep as I could before pulling up again.

Within moments he tried to pull away. I tightened my grip and added more suction. Garbled sounds escaped him, sounds that were meant to be words. I knew what he was trying to say. I ignored him and sucked harder. He went rigid beneath me in a last, desperate bid for control, but I felt the tremors start. I felt the wave take him and was ready when he came.

Evidently he wasn't done, though. As soon as I released him I found myself flung to my back, and he entered me in one deep thrust. I cried out in surprise only to have him capture my cry with his own mouth. Then he was moving urgently, thrusting into me hard and fast, his entire body trembling against me. My orgasm was sudden and violent, almost to the point of pain, and pulled him over the edge with me. One final thrust, and he ground his hips helplessly into me as he came.

It was a while before either one of us could move.

_**TBC…**_


	18. Chapter 18

_**A/N: Little quicker posing this time… There's light at the end of the tunnel now!**_

_Disclaimer: The characters you recognize are property of Janet Evanovich (Darn!). Max is mine. But if you ask nicely I'll let you play with him!_

_**o-o-o-o**_

_**Chapter 18**_

When we could breathe, Ranger rolled to his back and pulled me into his arms.

"Steph… My god, Babe. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"-- not hurt." My voice didn't work at first and I had to clear my throat. "You didn't hurt me. I'm…" I started to say 'fine' but that hardly covered it. I tried again. "That was… wild and…just _incredible_."

"Babe," he said huskily, hugging me closer and settling me comfortably against his chest. "I think I like waking up with you."

I smiled against his chest. "Anytime."

With my head against his chest I could hear his heart as it slowly returned to its normal speed. His hand was stroking my back, occasionally continuing up to cup my head gently. I felt boneless and was dozing off when Ranger stirred again, kissing the top of my head before stretching.

"Much as I'd rather stay here in bed with you all day, we need to be back in Trenton this evening."

I nodded and pried myself up until I could see the clock. We must have dozed longer than I'd thought because it was nearly noon. I needed to take a shower so my hair could dry.

I changed my mind as soon as I got to my feet. I was sore. Unless I wanted to be walking funny later I needed a little time in a tub of hot water. For a moment I considered the hot tub outside, but then I remembered the tub in the master bathroom.

"Tank won't mind if you want to use his tub," Ranger said.

Had I winced and given myself away? Or was it his ESP again? I hadn't even taken a step yet! It didn't matter, anyway. "Let me brush my teeth and grab my shampoo, and you can have the bathroom," I said, and hobbled away naked.

I did a quick job on my teeth and grabbed my shampoo and conditioner. When I came back out, Ranger was gone from the bed. He'd already started water running in the tub for me and had set out more towels and another clean t-shirt from the closet.

While the tub was filling I stepped into the shower and quickly washed and conditioned my hair. I got out and wrapped my hair in a towel, turban-style, and climbed into the tub. The water was hot, just a smidge away from being too hot, and it felt good. The tub was deep as well as huge, though, and I didn't want to use up all the hot water, so as soon as it reached the minimum fill line I shut off the tap and turned the jets on. I settled myself comfortably and nearly moaned.

A few minutes later Ranger brought me a cup of coffee, kissed me, and left to take his own shower.

By the time the water cooled I felt much better. Some of my parts were still a little tender and achy but I didn't mind. It was a reminder of this morning -- and it made me smile.

I found Ranger in the kitchen at the stove making a large omelet. I'd put on the t-shirt and combed out my hair but that was all. He had on the basketball shorts from yesterday and his hair was wet, too, but he'd already tied his back. I poured myself a coffee refill and watched him cut the omelet in two and slide it onto plates. It looked good and smelled wonderful. And I found I was hungry.

We ate and finished off the coffee. Then, while Ranger carried the pile of towels and discarded clothing to the bedroom, I added the dishes to those already in the dishwasher and started it, then wiped down the stove and the counters.

In the bedroom Ranger had sorted the towels into a plastic laundry basket that I assume had been in the laundry closet, and our clothes were tossed on the bed. I untangled mine and half-way folded them. I put the duffel on the bed and dumped the remainder of its contents out.

Clean bra and panties, _check_, and they were even a matching set. Ranger was going through clothes in the closet and not looking, so I dropped my towel and pulled on my underwear. I found the black skirt and set my Mary Jane heels out. I left the clean jeans out and put my 'worn' clothes in the bottom.

"Um…Ranger?" I asked tentatively. "What are you going to wear to dinner?"

He answered from the closet. "I'm pretty sure I've got a pair of jeans here somewhere -- here they are. And there are a few shirts here that should fit me." He came out of the closet and looked toward me, smiling when he saw my red Victoria's Secret set. "Why?"

"Well, I've got a black skirt or jeans to wear, but I don't seem to have a shirt. Do you think I could borrow something from the closet?"

"Sure. Do you want to come and look?"

"No," I answered, heading for the bathroom again. "You can pick for me. I'm going to start on my hair and makeup."

I rubbed just a dab of Mr. Alexander's hair gel through my hair, which was drying nicely, then started on my face.

I'd gotten enough sun in the past couple of days that I didn't need much foundation. I had a nice glow going on. I dusted my cheeks with blush, then lined and shaded my eyes in much the same subtle way I'd done for our date. Three coats of mascara - not too much or too little. Then I used a little powder to keep from getting shiny, and packed the makeup back into its bag. The shampoo, conditioners, and shower gel went back in its bag, too. I gave myself a mist of Dolce Vida and carried my toiletries back to the duffel bag.

Ranger was wearing jeans and a soft wine-colored Henley shirt, untucked. A royal blue button-up shirt lay on the bed next to my skirt.

"Will that shirt work?" he asked. "It's a medium - too small for most of us, so I'm not sure who might have left it. Hector, maybe, or maybe Woody."

I didn't think it would fit Hector or Woody, either, but it was a nice shirt. "It'll work."

I put on the skirt and pulled the shirt on, buttoning it and leaving three buttons undone at the top - not quite showing my bra clasp. It felt tight at the bottom so I undid the last button and gave myself a critical eye in the mirror. Not bad, but it would look better with a belt.

I heard Ranger chuckle behind the closet door and realized I'd been talking to myself out loud again.

"Don't ask me why these are in here, Babe," Ranger began as he stepped out of the closet. I heard a clink and a rattle, and he handed me a length of chain links with handcuff bracelets on either end. "--but they could make an interesting belt."

I don't know what they were intended for, but the length of chain was more than long enough to go around my waist. I tried just looping the ends together but it looked funny. Ranger stepped closer and opened one bracelet, threading it through one of the links and closing it again. It hung just right, dangling low around my hips. He must have liked the way it looked, too, because he smiled.

He lifted his hands and ran his fingers through my almost-dry curls. "You're beautiful, Steph." His hands trailed lower, straightening the collar of my shirt then continuing down and fastening one more button, hiding some of my cleavage. "This color is good on you."

I can't believe he just buttoned my shirt up more! _Ranger_? Hello, the man who'd opened my blouse nearly to my navel once before a distraction and told me _that_ was what he liked?

Before I could think of anything to say, Ranger had retrieved my crystal necklace and earrings from the nightstand, handing the earrings to me and fastening the chain around my neck. I looked up to thank him and he kissed me, slow and deep, melting me until I had to cling to him for support. Then his watch beeped and he drew back with a sigh. It was time to go.

The Ranger that drove us back to Trenton was very different from the Ranger I was used to riding with. He avoided the big highways, taking smaller roads through the countryside. He was also constantly touching me - playing with my fingers, tugging my had over to rest on his thigh; tracing his fingers up and down the inside of my thigh. I laughed and captured his hand when he teased too far, bringing it to my mouth like I was going to kiss it, then nipping him instead. It startled him into laughing.

We were just a little early when we pulled into the parking lot for the restaurant but Tank's SUV was already there. We'd spent a little time in the car planning our 'reveal' to Lula, so when we reached the door Ranger hung back, letting me go in alone.

It was a little early for dinner on a Saturday night, and there were only a few tables occupied so far. Tank and Lula were seated at a corner table - no great surprise there. I watched Lula's eyes narrow when she saw me coming, and Tank suppressing a grin. I could almost hear Lula's thoughts as she took in my appearance and ticked off the oddities… _man's shirt, manacles for belt, hair not styled, less than normal make-up, the 'I-got-laid' look… _She was opening her mouth to start the inquisition when here eyes suddenly got wide, and I knew she'd spotted Ranger coming over.

If I'd thought her eyes were wide at the sight of Ranger in 'normal' clothes, it was nothing compared to how they bugged out when he slid his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him. She started waving her arms around and sputtering but nothing coherent came out. Tank's deep laugh boomed out, I cracked up, and even Ranger was chuckling.

Her speechlessness didn't last long. "Girl, you got some 'splainin' to do!"

Ranger lost it, and Tank had to scoot his chair back because he was doubled over with laughter. Lula was still huffing and puffing, trying to decide whether to laugh or be mad, but finally laughter won out.

"Damn, girl! I can't believe you kept this all from me and didn't even let slip when we were shopping! How long has this been goin' on?"

Ranger had recovered faster than me, so he answered. "A few days -- or a couple of years, depending on how you look at it."

Tank made a strangled noise that had Ranger shooting him a look. I smiled and moved towards a chair as I answered Lula's actual question, distracting Ranger with seating us and keeping Tank out of trouble.

"The date you helped me shop for was our first actual date, Lula. It really hasn't been long."

Lula digested this then gave me a sly look. "Well, at least nothin' you told me that day was a lie!"

I sputtered, and Ranger gave me a one-eyebrow-raised look. Both Tank and Lula laughed. Lula relented, though -- probably because she didn't want to get me in trouble with Batman.

"She wouldn't give me a straight answer to anything I asked that day," she confided to the guys in an aggrieved tone. "I asked questions all afternoon, and the only question she answered was if the guy was good looking or not!"

The waitress came then, saving me from having to explain myself to Ranger. I felt sorry for the poor girl. She fumbled her ink pen when Ranger smiled at her, and she jumped when Tank laughed. But she did manage to write down our drink orders finally, and got them all right when she delivered them.

Ranger was drinking iced tea since he'd be on call later, but he got a strawberry daiquiri for me. Tank and Lula had beer.

After we placed our dinner orders Lula dragged me to the ladies' room, and as we left the table I heard Tank start updating Ranger on the past few days. Surprisingly, once we were along Lula didn't ask many questions. She just smirked and asked 'how many times?' I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I'd lost track!

Dinner was probably the most pleasant meal I've ever shared with more than one person. We all talked, even Ranger, and there was a lot of laughter. If occasionally Tank or Lula looked a little surprised at the sound of Ranger's laughter, or his teasing, they shook it off quickly. We parted company a couple of hours later in the parking lot.

We walked to the Turbo after waving the SUV off. Ranger trapped me against the car and kissed me, long and hot. When he drew back his eyes were dark.

"Would you spend the rest of the weekend with me, Babe? I'll be on call tonight but I don't need to be in the control room -- they'll call upstairs if they need me."

I didn't have to think about it. "Yes. I'd like that."

As he held the door for me I thought about asking if we could run by my apartment for a change of clothes, then changed my mind. I'd only really need something to go home in, and if all else failed I could borrow something.

He surprised me in the elevator at RangeMan, tugging me into his arms for a kiss. It was only a quick kiss, but usually he refrained from public displays of affection, and he knows there are cameras here. I didn't have time to wonder about it much, though.

"I need to stop on five and check in. Do you want to come with me, or go on up to the apartment? I won't be long."

"I'll go on up," I said. I was pretty sure all the guys knew Ranger had taken off with me and I wasn't ready to face their teasing just yet. So I stayed in the elevator when he stepped off and just waved at the cameras as I zoomed up to seven.

Since it was fresh on my mind and I would probably forget later, as soon as I closed the apartment door I made a bee-line to the closet to check if I had a change of clothes. I found several options.

Kicking off my heels, I made my way barefooted back to the kitchen. I was filling a glass with ice water when Ranger came in. He pulled his hair-tie off and leaned on the counter beside me, watching me drink. When I stopped, he took the glass and finished the water, reaching around to sit it in the sink without taking his eyes off mine. Then he picked me up and carried me toward the bedroom.

_**tbc…**_


	19. Chapter 19

_**A/N: LOL, I got fussed at for ending the last chapter before the smut scene. -sniff- Nice to know you only love me for my smut...!**_

_Disclaimer: Not my characters, only having fun. JE owns the Plumverse._

_**Chapter 19**_

Ranger carried me through to the bedroom and let me slide to my feet beside the bed, not bothering with lights. His mouth found mine before my toes touched the carpet. I melted against him with a moan and felt his arms tighten, and he deepened the kiss.

His mouth made love to mine thoroughly and at length until I was nearly reduced to a pile of goo. Then he began to trail his lips across my face, down my neck, kissing and nibbling and just stroking his lips gently back and forth along my skin. One arm kept me close and the other hand found the buttons of my shirt. He took his time opening the buttons, working his hands inside the shirt and easing it off my arms. I managed to get his shirt unbuttoned then got distracted by the yummy smooth skin of his chest.

I was only vaguely aware that he'd undone my skirt and was sliding it down when the cold metal of the shackles chain landed against my bare skin. I jumped and gasped, and felt Ranger laugh softly against my neck.

"Babe…I forgot it was there."

_Riiighttt…_

I squirmed but it only made the chain roll, pressing colder links to skin. "You want to get it off me?" I asked.

"In a minute. My keys are by the door, and I'm busy here right now." He pushed my skirt past my hips and I felt it slip to the floor to join my shirt. The cuff dangling at the end of the chain brushed low against my panties. I could feel the chill of the metal through the lace.

I opened my mouth to protest and found his mouth taking possession again. He pulled me tight against him and he was so warm... But we had too much cloth between us. That reminded me that I'd unbuttoned his shirt and I reached up to push it off, sighing when it was gone.

Warm fingers traced the cup of my bra. I held my breath, waiting for him to pop the front clasp. Instead he dipped inside and lifted my breast out of the tight cup, letting his thumb drag across the nipple briefly - just long enough to bring it to attention. Then he repeated it on the other side.

He broke the kiss then, burying his face in my hair and pressing me closer, bringing my breasts against his chest. My nipples hardened at the contact and I rubbed against him. He groaned.

"Babe," Ranger's voice was low and rough in my ear, making me shiver. "I love touching you. I love to feel you against my skin."

"Ranger," I whispered. More complicated coherent speech was beyond me, but I was all for skin touching. Since actions speak louder than words, I reached for his jeans.

He understood. But he didn't comply… At least, not right away. His hands slid down below my waist instead, and stroked the stretch-lace waistband of my panties before sliding them slowly down my hips, going down on one knee to slip them all the way off. He kissed his way back up my thighs, lingering at the apex long enough to make my knees week.

I was panting when he reached my breasts. He kissed and suckled each one before finally disposing of my bra. I heard myself moan as his teeth closed around my nipple, heard his answering sound of pleasure. One of my hands was tangled in his hair; the other still had a death-grip on the waistband of his jeans. I wasn't giving up - I wanted them off! I must have said it out loud. I heard his low laugh, and _finally_ the jeans disappeared.

He lifted me against him and I wrapped my legs around him, pulling myself closer. His mouth found mine and I was only vaguely aware of movement until Ranger settled on the bed against the headboard with me in his lap.

The feel of Ranger's hard length beneath me stole my breath, and I broke the kiss on a gasp. I rubbed against him and his hands on my hips stilled me.

"Slowly, Babe," he whispered. "Try to go slow."

I wondered if he wanted to go slow for him, or for me? Had he guessed that I was a little sore? I just wanted him inside me. I tried to go slowly, honestly, but …

"Steph!" he gasped as I took him deep, and I felt him shudder. His arms turned into steel bands and held me to him tightly even as he kissed me, his mouth verging on savage.

I liked this position - we were eye to eye and mouth to mouth, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold him against me. I kissed him, then drew back to press more kisses all over his face and as far down his neck as he let me before dragging my mouth back to his.

His hands were moving again, stroking my back, teasing my nipples, squeezing my hips. Even trying not to move I could feel my inner muscles tightening, winding tighter.

When his hands pulled at my shoulders I was confused, but I let him pull me back. He was murmuring to me as he lowered my back to rest on his legs, his knees pulled up slightly to hold me. Then we were facing each other across the vee of our bodies.

Ranger had slipped into Spanish, but I didn't need to know the language to understand what he was saying. His hands were on me everywhere--touching my breasts, stroking my thighs, and then moving down. His thumb brushed against me and I started coming apart, writhing on him and crying out his name. He rubbed harder and I came screaming, and I felt the spill of heat as he convulsed inside me.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

The phone rang once during the night. I heard Ranger answer but it must have been something fairly minor because he only spoke a moment and then was back sliding his arms around me. "Go back to sleep, _querida_," he murmured as he fitted us together again. He whispered something else as I started drifting off, but it was in Spanish. I tried to memorize the words so I could translate them later, but sleep claimed me quickly.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Sunday morning I woke when Ranger sat down on the edge of the bed next to me. I opened my eyes to find him fully dressed and smiling at me.

I blinked sleep away and pushed myself into a mostly sitting position. Ranger handed me a cup of coffee from the nightstand, with cream and sugar like I like it. As I took a sip I glanced around, figuring from the light through the blinds that it was either still early or it was cloudy out.

"How long have you been up?" I asked.

"A couple of hours. I needed to meet with Tank, so I got up early. It's only nine."

I nodded before taking another sip of coffee. Nine was early for me on Sunday, but it wasn't that early. And if he was leaving early tomorrow I didn't really want to waste today sleeping. "What's your plan today? Do you have things you need to do?"

"I already took care of things with Tank. I want to call Julie a little later, but mostly I want to spend time with you."

I smiled at him, determined to keep thoughts of tomorrow at bay. "Sounds good to me."

"Would you like to go to Point Pleasant for a while? It's a little cool out, but we could walk on the beach. Come back for dinner, maybe at Rossini's…"

"The beach sounds wonderful. Can I borrow a jacket? Or run by my apartment so I can get mine? I could get a dress for later, too."

"You can wear one of my jackets, and we'll worry about a dress later. Do you want a shower before breakfast? Ella's making French toast and bacon, and it'll be up soon."

I gave him back the empty cup and rolled out of bed, heading for the bathroom. Ranger laughed and headed back to the kitchen.

I surveyed myself in the mirror, making a face at my hair. If we were going to be walking on the beach it was going to be a mess anyway, so I decided not to waste time on it now. I borrowed a stretchy hair tie and pulled it into a poof on top of my head and took a quick shower, trying not to get it wet. I dried off, brushed my teeth quickly, and pulled on underwear, jeans, and 'borrowed' a long-sleeved t-shirt from Ranger's closet. Then I brushed my hair and did a quick and dirty French braid, securing the ends with the hair tie again. I wasn't all that great with braids behind my own head - I did much better on someone else's hair - but it didn't look too bad and it would keep it mostly contained.

I made it to the kitchen in time to greet Ella as she delivered the tray of food. She gave me a big smile and told us not to worry, she'd get the dishes later. Ranger poured us both more coffee and we sat down. This time I wasn't surprised to see he was eating the same breakfast as me, although he did have fruit too.

We were headed to Point Pleasant by ten. I'd skipped full makeup, just using some sunscreen, mascara, and a little powder so I wouldn't shine, and lip gloss. Ranger provided jackets, and had tossed a beach blanket in the back seat of the truck. Ella had handed him a small cooler as we left, with 'snacks and something to drink'.

The beach was pretty much deserted, and we had it to ourselves. We walked, holding hands and occasionally talking, until around noon. Then we spread the blanket in a sunny spot sheltered from the wind and investigated Ella's cooler. It contained a picnic lunch complete with champagne and orange juice to make mimosas.

After we ate we laid on the blanket in the sun for a bit, kissing and touching. Then it was time to pack up and head back.

We listened to music in the truck on the way back, with Ranger toying with my fingers much of the way.

In Trenton, he drove us back to his apartment. We were already in the elevator when I remembered we should have gone to my apartment so I could get a dress, but before I could say anything Ranger said Ella had taken care of it.

Laid out on Ranger's bed was a beautiful red dress. It was knee-length and looked like something Grace Kelly might have worn - much of the top of the dress was lace, and the skirt fit smooth at the waist and flared out full. The fabric was soft to the touch. And sitting beside it was a Victoria's Secret bag.

"Wow." I couldn't think of anything else to say, the dress blew me away.

Ranger chuckled. "Ella likes to shop for you." He looked at his watch. "You have two hours before our reservation, Babe. I'm going down to run, and I'll shower and change downstairs. If I come up here we may miss dinner."

I looked up, grinning because of the teasing in his voice, and found myself folded into his arms with his mouth claiming mine. I was breathless when he let me go.

"Ella said to call if you need help with anything. I'll be back in two hours."

_TBC…_


	20. Chapter 20

**_Disclaimer: Not my characters (except Max), I've just been having fun with them. I'll give them back when I'm done...maybe._**

…_"You have two hours before our reservation, Babe. I'm going down to run, and I'll shower and change downstairs. If I come up here we may miss dinner."_

_I looked up, grinning because of the teasing in his voice, and found myself folded into his arms with his mouth claiming mine. I was breathless when he let me go._

_"Ella said to call if you need help with anything. I'll be back in two hours."_

_**Chapter 20**_

I watched Ranger walk across the apartment and leave before I could move. I took a deep breath to calm my dancing hormones and headed for the shower.

Twenty minutes later I was freshly shampooed, conditioned, shaved, and scrubbed, and drying off with a big fluffy towel. Since I knew I was alone I worked conditioner through my hair and blow-dried it _sans_ clothing. Then I sprayed myself with Dolce Vida and went to investigate the bag on the bed.

Ella had chosen a red strapless bra and matching v-front panties of silk and included a pair of sheer thigh-high stocking with elastic lace tops. A note fell out of the tissue paper as I pulled them from the bag.

_Steph,_

_Call me (intercom 4) and I'll do your nails if you like._

_Ella_

I turned the bag upside down and sure enough a bottle of polish tumbled out. It wasn't red - it was a silvery rose color that would look nice with both the dress and my skin. Smiling, I picked up the phone. A person could get addicted to being taken care of by Ella.

She sounded thrilled that I'd taken her up on her offer, and said she'd be right up. I hung up and went to borrow Ranger's robe, and she was knocking on the door by the time I reached it. She grinned at the sight of me.

"I should have gotten you a robe," she said lightly as she entered. "That one swallows you."

Well, it did, but I kind of liked wearing Ranger's robe.

"The dress and things are beautiful, Ella. Thank you for shopping for me."

"My pleasure, dear. I enjoy it. Now, where would you like to sit?"

She wasted no time getting me settled in the recliner. My fingernails were in fairly decent shape and took little time so she gave me a pedicure, too, using the same pretty polish. She turned on music while I was drying and disappeared into the bedroom, returning a few minutes later with a bottle of lotion.

"I know you like Dolce Vida, and I thought you might like this," she said, putting a few drops on her fingers and rubbing it, then offering it to me to smell. "It's a light moisturizing lotion with just a touch of fragrance and something that gives your skin a little shimmer without being too obvious." I made an appreciative noise after sniffing it, and she rubbed a little on my forearm. It felt good, and it wasn't glittery.

"That's really nice," I said. "Where did you find it?"

Ella just shrugged. "A friend of a friend. Would you like me to do your back while you're drying?"

After a few moments' debate, I found myself back in the bedroom, lying naked on my stomach on the bed. Ella swished my hair up out of the way and was working lotion into my entire back side as if she did it everyday, not giving me time to feel embarrassed. She didn't miss an inch of my back, shoulders, butt, or legs, and did my entire arms and my legs up to my knees. She tried to get me to roll over but I assured her I could do the rest myself. I thanked her profusely again, and just before she left she hesitated, then confided that she was pretty sure Ranger preferred my hair down, in case I wondered.

I'd figured that out already, but I appreciated her help.

Working carefully so I wouldn't mess up my nails, I carefully finished coating myself with the lotion and surveyed myself in the mirror while it finished drying. It did give my skin a glow. I frowned at my scars, wishing for a moment that I had flawless skin, then shrugged. Ranger didn't seem to mind.

I slipped into the Victoria's Secret set, admiring the color. Most reds didn't look good against my skin but this was the right shade and matched the dress perfectly. I was very careful putting on the stockings so I didn't snag them. I felt like a pin-up girl as I walked back to the bathroom to do my makeup wearing just the underwear and stockings. With that in my thoughts, I went with makeup like a 1940's sex kitten - big eyes, matte red lips, not much color elsewhere to distract the eye. I pulled part of my hair on top into a soft poof secured with hairpins and left the rest loose to curl against my shoulders, and put the crystal earrings back on. Heddy Lamar had nothing on me.

Rescuing my shoes from the duffel bag, I buckled them on. I had fifteen minutes left and only the dress remained to be put on.

It was tissue silk, from the designer Luella. I dropped it carefully over my head and settled it into place. There was a silk band at the neck and then it was all sheer lace until it met the silk just above my bra. It didn't really have sleeves, just soft capes of lace over the tops of my arms. The silk hugged my body down to my hips then flared out into a full skirt that brushed the tops of my knees. There was just one tiny problem -- it buttoned up the back.

I managed a few buttons but gave up and was about to call Ella for help when I heard the door open. I went to the bedroom door and stepped out. Ranger was back, dressed all in black - a suit that had to have been tailor-made for him it fit so well, and a black silk shirt left open at the neck. My knees went weak and I had to force myself to breathe. I realized I was licking my lips when I saw his eyes go dark.

After a moment Ranger broke the tension. "All ready?" he asked, his voice low.

"Almost," I said, and had to clear my throat. "I - um- ran into a small problem. This dress buttons up the back, and I need help."

He walked toward me; I turned my back and pulled my hair to one side, out of the way. I felt his approach, my body going warm and liquid. One hand came around me and splayed against my belly, and then I felt his mouth pressing a kiss between my shoulder blades. My nipples came to attention inside my bra and my breath caught. _Damn_, if he didn't keep the touching to a minimum we _**wouldn't**_ make it to dinner.

I heard him take a deep breath, and his fingers were warm where they brushed against my skin as he worked the buttons from the lower edge to the top. When he finished he rested his hands on my waist for a moment. I heard him mutter something in Spanish, but all I caught was Ella's name.

"What did you say?" I asked. I was seriously going to learn Spanish, I felt like I was missing way too much.

"I said, I think Ella bought this dress to torture me," he growled, but there was amusement in his voice. He kissed my still-exposed neck before he let go and stepped back, and I turned to meet him. He took my hand and led me toward the door before I could say anything. "If we're not out of this building in the next five minutes we won't make dinner at all," he warned.

I didn't have anything with me - money, ID, or makeup - but I doubted I'd need them anyway.

In the elevator on the way to the garage, Ranger kept one arm around my waist and was looking down at me. "I don't suppose that lipstick is the kind that doesn't rub off," he half-asked.

I looked up at him through my eyelashes, trying not to smile. "Why do you ask?"

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. He paused, then shook his head slightly. As he led me to the Turbo I heard him mutter softly, "…_pequeño embroma."_

At Rossini's there was a secluded alcove in the back of the restaurant that held just a few tables, hidden from view of the dining room and each other by careful placement of plants and hanging art screens. Tonight ours was the only table occupied.

He ordered my favorite chicken and pasta for me, and for himself he ordered my second-favorite dish so we could share. We had wine with dinner. And I had tiramisu for dessert, which he watched me eat with darkened eyes while he sipped coffee.

The drive back to the apartment was a blur.

He kissed me in the elevator, as if he couldn't wait another minute, and barely broke the kiss long enough to get us into the apartment. As soon as the door shut behind us I found myself pressed to the door with his mouth devouring mine. A few minutes later, though, he pulled back, resting his forehead against mine to catch his breath.

"I need to tell you something now, _mi amor_, before I forget." He must have heard my breath catch, because he was quick to reassure me. "It's nothing bad, Babe. You know I have to report tomorrow. I just want to tell you I don't plan to wake you when I leave." His fingers stilled my lips before I could protest, and he continued. "It's not that I don't want to say goodbye -- but if you're awake to see me off, leaving will be so much harder. I'd rather leave you sleeping in my bed so I can picture you there, waiting for me."

Tears welled in my eyes and I had to bit the inside of my lip hard to keep them from falling. How hard was it for him to admit that small weakness to me? I traced his lip with one finger, inhaling slowly to steady myself.

"All right," I whispered. "Just - take care of yourself for me, okay? I'd like to have you back in one piece."

"Stephanie… Will you be here when I get home?" His eyes held mine and I understood what he was asking. It wasn't about being physically here, in his apartment. He was asking much more.

I smiled for him even though my lips were trembling. "I'll be waiting."

-oOo-

_**TBC…**_

_(A/N: Okay, folks… There are 96 alerts on this story, and the last chapter got 380 hits -- and I only get 9 reviews? I'm holding the next chapter hostage….! )_


	21. Chapter 21

_**A/N: You knew I wouldn't REALLY make you wait for this…**_

_Disclaimer: Ranger and Stephanie don't belong to me, much as I would like them to._

_**-SMUT WARNING!- … **__(and yes, this __**IS**__ your reward for all those nice reviews!)_

_**Chapter 21**_

Ranger's hands curved around my face and his smile was tender. "I love you, Babe."

He kissed me then. His hands slipped through my hair and down to encircle me, pulling me tight against him as his mouth worked his magic. I burrowed into him, reveling in his strong body. Finding him already hard for me made my knees weak and I melted against him with a moan.

I felt his hands warm through the silk as he slid his hands down my hips and lower, pressing me tighter against him. I rocked against him, making him groan. Then I pulled away and caught his hands, tugging him with me as I walked backwards towards the bedroom. I met his eyes, letting my desire show plain on my face as I touched my tongue to my upper lip. I'd told him with words that I loved him; now I wanted to show him.

Surprise and pleasure flickered across his face and if possible his eyes heated even more. Then he scooped me up and carried me with long strides into the bedroom.

The bedside lamps were on low, lighting the room with a soft glow. Ranger let me down and I reached for him immediately, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. He caught it as it slipped off and with a low chuckle tossed it away. I got his shirt unbuttoned as he kissed me, tugging it impatiently out of his pants. He obediently held first one then the other wrist up for me as I unbuttoned the cuffs, then tugged the shirt off. I pressed one open-mouthed kiss against his chest, then he took over.

He turned me away from him, bringing my hands together in front of my body and wrapping one hand around both wrists to hold them. I could have gotten loose if I'd struggled, but I didn't. He brushed my hair gently over one shoulder to expose the buttons down my back. He worked the first button free carefully, pressing a kiss against the nape of my neck as the dress began to open.

We were standing in front of the wall mirror, and if I turned my head only slightly I found I could watch. The muscular arm holding me so gently looked strong enough to break me in two, framed vividly against the scarlet of my dress. His dark head was bent, his entire focus on working the buttons open. I closed my eyes for a moment as he slowly worked his way lower, fingers and lips so warm against the skin of my back. They flew open and I had to lock my knees when the final button let go and Ranger ran his tongue up the small of my back. My heart stuttered and all my pleasure centers came to sudden, throbbing attention.

"Ranger," I breathed as he straightened and released my wrists. He slipped his hands under the edges of the dress and began to work it over my shoulders, nipping along the skin as it became exposed. I groaned. "Do you know what you do to me?"

The dress slid down my arms, catching on my hips. Ranger chuckled against my neck, sliding his hands around my waist to push the dress further down. "Is it turning you on?"

I had to laugh at his words. Deliberately or not, they sounded like a pick-up line. But my laughter turned into a moan as the dress fell and Ranger's hands spread across the top of my thighs.

His fingertips brushed along the lace top of my stockings then slid up, slowly, to pull my hips firmly back into his body. One long-fingered hand splayed across my belly to anchor me in place and the other crossed up and over to curl around my neck. His lips brushed along my neck scattering kisses and gentle nibbles until he reached the place where neck met shoulder -- and there he bit. I cried out and my knees wobbled. His arms tightened, holding me. He kissed the spot he'd bitten and I trembled.

For a moment we stood motionless, locked together. Then I let my head fall back to rest against his shoulder and his hands began to move.

One hand slid slowly down to trace my breasts along the top of the bra, teasing me. I reached up and behind with one hand, tangling my fingers in his hair and turning my face towards him. He met my lips in a soft kiss. Even as our lips met, his fingers dipped to find one hard nipple and his other hand slid down over my belly to dip beneath the lace of my panties to tease a breath away from where I wanted him.

A small tortured sound escaped from my throat as he continued to tease with fingers and tongue, until I began to rub against his erection in desperation. He shifted his weight, tilting his hips back out of reach. I tried to reach behind me, but was able to no more than brush the front of his pants. No fair!

I twisted, spinning around him to press myself against his bare back, wrapping my arms around his waist and chest before he'd recovered from the surprise move. I rubbed myself against him and let my hands roam -- everywhere.

"Babe!" His protest was half-hearted. I pressed kisses all over his back, nipping the few places where I could. I managed to distract him enough to get his pants undone, but then I found myself back in his arms, face to face.

He kissed me hard and deep, his tongue thrusting against mine in a rhythm that had me writhing against him, and when we broke for air my bra was gone. His hands closed over my breasts, kneading and stroking. When he bent his head to take one nipple in his mouth I teetered over the first edge and felt liquid warmth drench my panties.

Both my nipples were rosy and aching when he guided me back in front of him and turned us toward the mirror.

"I want to watch my hands on you, Babe." His voice was low and rough, and the feel of his breath on my neck made my nipples pucker, and one hand stroked them. "I think I've become a voyeur over the past year," he continued as his other hand moved back down to slip beneath the lace, continuing this time to find me wet and swollen. "Do you know how often I broke in just to watch you sleep?"

My reply was incoherent as his fingers pushed slowly inside me. My legs were trembling. But my eyes were riveted to the mirror. I watched him play with my nipples, plucking and tugging first one then the other. And watched the muscles in his forearm flex as he moved his fingers inside me.

Then I felt his teeth against my neck. I came, hard, and my legs gave way.

The room spun as he lifted me and turned, laying me gently at the foot of the bed. Damp lace slid down my legs and Ranger knelt before me, his palms warm against my inner thighs as he pushed them further apart. He lowered his head, and I gasped at the first touch of his mouth.

His lips closed over me and suckled gently, even as his tongue stroked me. I arched into him, feeling the spasms deep inside as my muscles clenched on nothing. I covered my mouth trying to muffle my cries but finally resorted to biting my hand as I came.

He drew back slightly to kiss up and over my belly before returning to the top of my thigh. I felt his lips trail along the crease where my leg met my body before he sucked the skin tight and bit down, marking me and making me cry out.

One strong arm slid beneath my back as Ranger rose over me, lifting me and dragging me further up on the bed with him.

"_Déjeme adentro_, _querida_," he breathed. "Let me in, I can't wait any more."

I opened my legs and reached for him, wrapping my arms around him as he thrust deep. My breath caught on a sob as he started a slow, driving rhythm.

"_Dios_, Stephanie…my Babe…" was all I could understand before he trailed off into indecipherable Spanish. One hand was between my shoulder blades and the other was fisted in my hair.

I writhed against him, coming apart as orgasm after orgasm swamped me. I heard myself crying his name, felt him tremble, then he surged one final time and emptied himself deep inside me.

Some time later he rolled us to our sides, still holding me close. We lay without speaking until our breathing slowed. I felt Ranger kiss my forehead and dragged my eyes open to give him a shaky smile.

"I love you," I said softly.

"I love you, Stephanie," he whispered against my lips, and then kissed me. For a long while we just held each other, touching and kissing and whispering.

At some point I had to get up, and made a trip to the bathroom on wobbly legs. After I flushed the toilet and washed my hands I used a makeup-remover wipe to clean my face, grinning when I found my lipstick was still mostly intact.

Ranger was in the dressing room when I came out. He'd picked up our scattered clothing and pulled on his boxers, and held up his black dress shirt for me. I slipped my arms into the sleeves and pulled the silk closed over my breasts as Ranger watched, the heat in his eyes making my fingers clumsy when I tried to button it.

Around two in the morning we ventured into the kitchen for something to drink. I was surprised but thrilled when we found Ella had left a container of made-from-scratch chocolate mousse in the refrigerator. Ranger set me up on the counter and stood between my legs to feed me the rich concoction, stealing kisses and the occasional bite of mousse. Near the end of the bowl I stuck my finger in it and smeared chocolate across Ranger's face, leaning down to lick it off. We got a little messy after that and ended up in the shower. He made love to me with the spray pouring over us until we could barely stand and the water ran cold.

Back in bed, we made love once more. I fell asleep wrapped in Ranger's arms with my head on his chest. Lulled by the sound of his heartbeat, I closed my eyes as the first light of dawn gilded the edges of the blinds.

_**TBC…**_


	22. Chapter 22

_Disclaimer: Characters property of Janet Evanovich, and used without permission. _

_**  
Chapter 22**_

I woke to silence and knew Ranger was gone. The bed on either side of me held no trace of heat. I was alone.

The bedside clock said it was early afternoon but the room was dim. I just lay there feeling numb and empty, without the curiosity to wonder why or the energy to investigate.

Then thunder rolled and I heard the patter of rain against the windows, and I remembered waking up before Ranger, exploring him, teasing him… Was it really only forty-eight hours ago? My breath caught and tears welled in my eyes. I blinked furiously, determined not to cry. Not here.

I stumbled to my feet and looked around. I couldn't stay here. The apartment felt empty yet Ranger lingered in every room. I needed to go home, where I could hide away from the word until I could get a handle on the ache in my heart.

Unable to face the shower alone, I dressed quickly in the closet and pulled my hair into a ponytail without even trying to brush it. I found my purse and my keys and jammed my feet into my shoes. Hesitating only briefly, I borrowed the same jacket I'd worn to Point Pleasant yesterday and started for the door.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I left the bedroom and yanked the hair-tie back out so my hair would cover my neck. Ranger had left marks and I didn't want any questions or teasing. I couldn't handle it just yet.

I made it almost all the way to the garage before I remembered I didn't have a car, and I hadn't thought to pick up any of Ranger's keys. It turned out I didn't need either. When I stepped out of the elevator Tank was already there waiting for me, leaning against an idling Bronco.

He didn't say anything at all. He looked at me once as if to make sure I was okay and gave me a nod, then just opened the door. I climbed in. A moment later he took his place behind the wheel and drove me home in silence.

There was an empty slot in the parking lot right in front of the door, and as soon as Tank pulled the Bronco into it I was reaching for the door handle. Tank reached for the key, I guess intending to walk me up. I stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"It's okay," I got out, but my voice sounded raw even to me. "I'm fine. Thanks for the ride." And I bailed out of the SUV and ran through the rain to the lobby door.

I was so anxious to get upstairs I might actually have taken the stairs, but I had quickly discovered I was sore pretty much everywhere. So I waited for the elevator. It was empty, thank god, and I let myself into my apartment a few minutes later.

How can your heart ache and be numb at the same time? I felt like was on auto-pilot now, following a checklist in my head. Lock door, check; put on chain, check. I forgot the floor bolt until I hung the jacket on the hooks by the door and found it, but I slid it into place, too. Next step, turn off the phone ringer.

I dropped my purse on the dresser after pulling my cell out of it. The cell was off - probably the battery was dead, I couldn't remember when I charged it last. I laid it on the nightstand and headed for the bathroom, stripping on the way. I didn't bother with the light, avoided the mirror, and turned the shower on hot. Only when the water pounded hot over me did I let the tears go.

My legs gave out and the water was barely lukewarm by the time I was cried out. I dragged myself to my feet and gave myself a lecture. I was stronger than this. _**This**_ was probably a big reason why Ranger avoided relationships. If I wanted to be part of his life I had to learn to deal. He wasn't gone forever - I wouldn't let myself even consider that - and I really wanted him to proud of me when he got back.

I washed quickly in the chilly water, promising myself a long soak in the tub later. I was light-headed and a little queasy from my crying jag, and I knew I should eat something. I dried off, squeezed the water out of my hair with the towel, and pulled on my old terrycloth robe.

In the kitchen I found the food fairies had visited. All my staples were there - peanut butter and white bread, olives, donuts, potato chips and an assortment of candy bars - as well as more nutritious fare. There was a note on the counter anchored by a package of chocolate-chip cookies. "Call if you need _anything_." It was signed Tank, Lester, and Bobby, and one of them had drawn three smiley faces across the bottom.

I sniffed back a few tears and made myself a peanut butter and olive sandwich, washing it down with milk and some potato chips. After that I felt a little better. I eyed the phone and the blinking light on the machine and sighed. I might as well get it over with.

Surprisingly, there were only a couple of messages. So much had happened in the last few days I forgot how little time had actually passed - it had been less than a week since the distraction job. I pressed the play button and listened. One message was from Lula left the morning after my 'mystery date', asking how it had gone. One was from my mother on Friday morning, asking if I wanted to come to dinner Friday night. The last one was Tank, left while I was in the shower.

_"Steph, I know you probably don't want to talk right now, but please remember you can call us any time, whether you need anything or just want to talk. We'll be close."_

I smiled slightly as I hit the delete button. _Close_ was probably an understatement - I'd probably have a shadow following me around. Well, that was just one more reason to buck up and deal with it. Whatever happened, Ranger would find out about it when he got back. I wanted to make it clear I could handle an occasional absence. Even if this was the end of his government contract, he still had a business to run and some jobs would require him to be away at times. And I knew all too well that there were no guarantees in life.

The clock read four-thirty. I could probably make it to dinner at my parents but I didn't really want to, so I decided to call instead. I had to endure a little fussing because I hadn't called back on Friday, but I explained I'd been out of town most of the day and had missed her message. I promised to go to dinner Friday night, and got off the phone.

Since I was staying in, I got dressed in comfortable sweats and a t-shirt and dug through my closet for my fuzzy slippers. The rain was cold, and left a chill in the air. I left my hair to dry on it's own, though. Although it was early, I was tired. Before I left the bedroom I plugged my cell phone in to charge.

I made hot chocolate and curled up on the sofa with the remote and the cordless phone. First things first, I called the RangeMan control room and got Bobby.

"Hey, Steph, what's up?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

"I'm just calling to say thanks for stocking my fridge. I'm staying in for the rest of the night, so if you've got someone watching over me you can let them go home."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. I'm okay."

"Did you eat anything?" he asked in a more normal voice.

"Peanut butter and olive sandwich."

He made a gagging noise but when he spoke again I could tell he was relieved I seemed to be normal - for me, anyway. There was a smile in his voice. "Okay, but Lester's going to be disappointed. He was hoping you'd want pizza."

I laughed. "Tell him maybe lunch sometime this week, okay? I'll talk to you later."

Bobby had sounded relieved I'd called, and that made me feel better about checking in. Tank had probably told Lula about Ranger leaving today, too, so I called her next.

She answered the phone on the first ring. "Girl, you doin' okay? I been wantin' to call and check on you but didn't know what to say."

I smiled. While I regretted the circumstances that had brought her into my life, she'd become a very good friend. "I'm okay. I m-miss him." I took a deep breath to steady my voice before I continued. "Everything happened so fast between us, and then he got a call and had to leave. I guess I feel a little…overwhelmed."

"I bet," she agreed. "When Tank and I first got together it took me a while to get my mind around the idea that he'd really want to be _with_ _me_, you know, long term -- and we didn't have no other stuff goin' on to make it harder. I can just imagine how you feel."

I sniffed, and stifled a yawn. "I'm kind of tired, too, and I think that's part of it. I'll feel better tomorrow."

"Get some rest, and call me if you need anything."

"I will," I promised. Part of me was surprised how motherly Lula sounded. Her next words, however, dispersed that thought.

"Good. 'Cause once you're feelin' better you owe me some _details _about your date!"

I laughed, said goodnight, and hung up. Leave it to Lula to remind me of that bargain now. I had to admit, though, talking to her had made me feel better.

Calls made, I turned on the TV and vegged out, sipping my hot chocolate and making some popcorn later on. By nine I couldn't keep my eyes open any more, so I went to bed. I curled around my pillows, glad they still smelled of Ranger, and sent a silent prayer heavenward. Day One down, how many more to go?

_**TBC…**_

_A/N: Thanks for all your reviews, they keep me perking along. Think of them as the 'currency' you tip the Fanfic writers with…!_


	23. Chapter 23

_Disclaimer: Characters (except for Max and Yoshi) are property of JE and used without permission. _

_**Chapter 23**_

This morning I woke up reaching for Ranger only to find the bed empty. I flopped over onto my back and tried to breathe through the pain in my heart. It would be okay. He'd be back as soon as it was humanly possible. I could handle this.

It was only seven a.m. but I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep. Instead, I got up and shuffled into the kitchen to make coffee. Maybe I'd go by the bonds office this morning. If Connie had any skips for me it would keep my mind off missing Ranger.

I indulged in a hot bath instead of a shower, soaking my aches away and sipping from a big thermal mug of coffee laced with cream and sugar. By the time I climbed out I was feeling pretty good. Seeing the marks on my skin in the mirror strangely enough didn't make me sad, they made me smile. They were proof I hadn't imagined the past week, I guess. Good memories.

I debated what to wear, standing in front of my closet in my underwear. Jeans, probably. The first pair I pulled out had the knee torn out, but I pulled them on anyway. If I ended up chasing a skip later I might as well not ruin good clothes. I looked out the bedroom window to check the temperature on the thermometer I'd left on the fire escape and saw there was a black SUV in the lot. Jeez, it was barely after eight in the morning! I guess the guys were serious about keeping an eye on me. Had Ranger asked them to?

It was in the low sixties and a little overcast. I decided to wear a short sleeved t-shirt and a lightweight lined windbreaker. That should cover most any weather conditions likely today. I didn't want to wear the steel-toed boots but something else I might be able to run in… I found a pair of blue Nikes in the back of the closet that would work.

Rummaging through the kitchen I took a mental inventory while I searched for breakfast. Pop-tarts, cereal, meal-replacement bars were in the cabinet along with coffee and peanut butter. In the fridge there was a fresh half-gallon of milk, some yogurt, a selection of fruit, and bagged salad. There were frozen dinners - including a few from Ella - in the freezer with the ice cream.

I really wasn't hungry yet and I should probably get donuts to take to the office. I dropped one of the bars into my purse in case I got hungry later and refilled my coffee cup. I started to dump the rest of the coffee, then backtracked to look out at the SUV. I was pretty sure it was Tank inside. I found another travel cup and filled it. Then I checked the contents of my purse, making sure I had my phone and gadgets, slipped on my jacket and left the apartment juggling two cups.

Tank slipped out of the SUV when he saw me coming. A smile split his face when I handed him the second cup.

"Thanks, Steph. How did you know I was out here?"

I rolled my eyes. "I looked out the window. You know, you don't need to get up this early to watch me. Normally I sleep a lot later."

"You didn't today," he pointed out. He was smiling faintly but his eyes were serious as he searched my face. He took a breath and seemed to make a decision. "I wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay. You looked a little rough yesterday when I brought you home."

I took a sip of coffee to wash down the lump in my throat. "Yesterday was hard. But I'm okay. I'll _be_ okay."

He nodded. Then his eyes went to my neck and he got a little smirk on his face. One big hand reached out and pushed my hair back and I felt my face flush red. The smirk became a full grin and he shook his head.

"What?" I asked, defensively. I had a feeling I'd get a lot of these looks today.

"In all the time I've known him, Ranger has never left marks on a woman before."

I frowned. That wasn't quite true - Ranger had marked me before, just not where it was so visible. I had the feeling I was missing something, but I didn't want to question Tank about Ranger. I changed the subject.

"You're not planning on following me around all day, are you? I know you have better things to do."

"That depends on your plans. Where are you headed?"

"Just to the bonds office, after I stop at Tasty Pastry for donuts. I thought I'd check in and see if there are any files for me." Before he could say anything, I added "I promise I'll call if I need anything."

"I'll hold you to that. Tell Lula I'll call her later, okay?"

I nodded, and he climbed back into the SUV while I headed for my six-year-old Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was the most reliable vehicle I'd had for a while, and had survived six months and counting. Tank waited until I pulled out of my space to pull forward, but he didn't follow me when I turned out of the lot.

A quick stop and a dozen donuts later I was pulling up in front of the bonds office. It was just after nine, and I watched Connie come from the back to unlock the front door as I climbed out of the Jeep. She was yawning and just waved me in, not trying to speak. She had a take-out cup of coffee on her desk. I put the donuts down beside it, opened the box and selected a Boston Crème. Before I could take a bite I heard Lula come in the back door muttering about stepping in a puddle.

She was a bright spot in a so-far cloudy day. She had on a neon-aqua spaghetti-strap tank on over a spandex t-shirt. The front of the tank was decorated with a wide ruffle of glittery aqua lace dotted with clear sequins. A matching aqua mini-skirt banded her hips and would have been indecently short but for the black leggings she had on underneath. Her three-inch heels were a matching aqua, and an aqua scarf was tied around her cocoa-brown hair. She actually looked really nice.

"Hey, white girl!" she nearly yelled when she saw me. Her face lit up with her smile. "It's good to see you out and about."

"We haven't seen you for days. Were you sick?" Connie asked from her desk.

I shot Lula an incredulous look. She hadn't told Connie? I was speechless, and touched that Lula had kept my date secret like I'd asked. It had to have nearly killed her to keep quiet after Saturday's dinner.

"No, I wasn't sick," I said slowly, grinning at Lula so she'd know it was okay to spill the beans. "I was just…busy."

"I'll just _**bet**_ you were _busy_. Holy hot flash!" Lula chortled. She stepped closer to me and inspected what she could see of my neck, holding my hair back to Connie could get a good look, too. Oh, great, here goes the blushing again. "When she went shopping the other day she had a _date_! She's been _busy_ with Batman!"

Connie's jaw dropped, and her bite of donut fell out. "Ranger? You went out with _Ranger_? When was this?"

"Wednesday night. He took me to dinner, and dancing."

Connie made a little face. "That doesn't sound all that exciting."

"_We_ never danced with Batman," Lula pointed out with a huff, and I had to laugh.

"I've never thought that sounded like much fun, either, but it was. He took me to this wonderful club that was right out of an old 1940's movie, they had a band and a dance floor and everything. They played mostly jazz, some old big-band stuff, but some was more modern. And the food was really good." I smiled, remembering. "And Ranger can really dance…"

Lula hooted and did a little jig.

Connie was looking more interested. "So what time did you get home?" she asked slyly, looking at my neck again.

I felt my face grow hotter, but before I could say anything Lula answered for me. "They came back to Trenton Saturday night. I know, because Tank and I went do dinner and he said we were going to meet Steph for drinks. Ranger was _with_ her, and he was acting pretty territorial, if you know what I mean."

I smiled, remembering our time at Tank's house. Then I looked at Lula - did she know about the house? Had she been there yet? Had Tank told her?

"Tank told me later Saturday night where you'd been. He's told me about his house, but I haven't seen it yet. What did you think?"

"It's beautiful, Lula. It's in a little pocket of woods with nothing else around - you can't even see lights - but it's got everything you'd want. There's even a pool and a hot tub in the back yard."

We got comfortable on the sofa and I answered as many of their questions as I was comfortable with, and they didn't push too much. They didn't believe I got Ranger to walk around in a mall, much less go to a movie there.

When their questions were mostly satisfied, Lula turned to me. "Tank told me about Ranger having to go out of town, and that they don't know for how long. I guess that's pretty hard on you given you just got together with him."

"Yeah," I agreed, and the damn lump was back in my throat. I had to clear it. "Yesterday was hard. But I'll survive. He'll be back as soon as he can. I'll just take it one day at a time until then."

They just nodded, and looked thoughtful. The jovial mood was broken, and I didn't want to dwell on Ranger's absence. "Hey, Connie, do you have any skips today?"

"I have a couple. Neither one of them is worth much, but they're not nut cases either." She got up and shuffled through a pile on her desk, finding the files. She sat down and completed the paperwork to turn them over to me. I got another donut while I waited, and the box reminded me of something.

"Oh, Lula, I almost forgot. I saw Tank this morning, and he said to tell you he'll call you later." I gave her a grin. "Maybe you ought to see if he's free for lunch. You look really good in that outfit - I think Tank should see you in it."

"You think so?" she asked, pleased. "I just loved this color and had to have it."

"It looks good on you. Makes your skin look like Godiva chocolate. I bet Tank will think you look edible!"

Lula actually blushed, and Connie and I both laughed. I took the files and waved. "Well, I've got a few errands to run. Lula, you want to come along later if I decide to go after one of these skips?"

"Sure. Give me a call."

I left with the files, one last donut, and my now empty coffee cup. I though of one of my resolutions - to learn some Spanish so I wouldn't miss out on so much when Ranger or the guys spoke it. I'd taken French in high school and done okay, and that had taught me to roll r's. I was pretty sure I could learn a few basics fairly quickly.

There was a big new bookstore at the mall. I'd start my search there.

_**TBC…**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**A/N: Sorry, no smut today. Steph has to wait for Ranger, so you do, too!**_

_Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money, just hoping for reviews to keep me going…._

_**Chapter 24**_

The bookstore was a disappointment. They had Spanish-English dictionaries, but nothing to teach beginning Spanish. A salesclerk recommended I try looking at one of the big office-supply stores that sold software. I hit pay dirt there, and bought a Spanish teaching program I could install on my laptop. I also bought a microphone and headset combination when the software salesclerk told me I could practice speaking into the computer program and it would tell me if I pronounced it right. I liked the idea of practicing in private.

It was lunchtime when I finished my purchase and I thought about going to see my parents. I could apologize again in person and eat lunch. I changed my mind, though, when I remembered my marked neck. Grandma would NOT let that go un-mentioned, and I'd get interrogated. Better to wait another day or two.

I went home instead. I made a grilled cheese sandwich and -gasp- ate some salad with it. I would rather have had tomato soup but I was out. Since Rex was no longer around to need the cans I forgot to buy it. It had been a while now since Rex passed on. Maybe I'd think about getting another pet.

While I ate I read through the files. Like Connie said, they weren't nut-case types. Neither one of them was supposed to be dangerous. But they both had nine-to-five jobs, and would most likely not be home until closer to six. I had time to kill.

The directions for the Spanish software didn't sound too complicated, so I sat down with my laptop and followed the instructions. It went smoothly, and I started the first lesson. It seemed to be pretty easy, and I even managed to get the microphone headset thing to work. The lessons started out very simple, kind of like the old Dick and Jane books for beginning readers. I felt like I was making progress.

Sometime later I was trying to pronounce the weird consonant sounds Spanish has for 'b' and 'v' when my stomach started growling loud enough to interrupt me. Hours had gone by already. I needed to decide if I was going after a skip tonight or not. I reluctantly shut down the computer and reached for my files.

Rudy Gillespie was a first-time offender, arrested for a drunk and disorderly at his favorite bar one night. Evidently he'd overdone the happy-hour drinks one evening after a day of being ragged on by a boss whose only qualifications were that he was the head man's son-in-law. He'd spilled a drink on someone, they'd bitched at him, and he'd snapped. Either he hadn't been able to get off work to go to court, or he'd hoped if he ignored it that it would go away. He would probably be at the bar tonight after work trying to drink his trouble away.

It was four-thirty now and Rudy got off at five. Lula and I could go have a drink at the bar, wait for him to have a few, and then walk him out. He wasn't likely to be violent, and he didn't know me -- I hoped.

I called Lula first and she agreed to meet me at the bar in twenty minutes. I called Tank as I headed to the bedroom to change clothes and gave him a brief run-down of our plan. He said he'd cruise over and wait outside just in case we needed help.

Dressing quickly, I pulled on my old black slacks, a blue blouse that was a little crumpled, and pulled my hair up into a messy knot. I put plain black pumps on my feet and little pearl earrings in my ears. I looked in the mirror and cringed - I looked like I'd just gotten off from work at E.E. Martin. Which meant the look was perfect for tonight's purposes.

I got to the bar a few minutes early and waited for Lula in the parking lot. She came straight from the office and so was still dressed in the aqua outfit. I had to smile as I walked to meet her. If things went as planned maybe she and Tank could grab a little together time. As weird as it was, they were actually good together, and I was happy for them.

We ordered drinks and found a table where we could watch the door. Just a few minutes later office-worker types began dribbling in. As five o'clock came and went, the number of bodies and the volume in the bar both went up quickly. At five-fifteen Rudy came in.

His tie was loose and his shirt looked like he'd slept in it. There was mustard - at least I hoped it was mustard - on one of his cuffs. He sat at the bar and got a whiskey neat and a beer. Ten minutes later he was already ordering round two.

In less than an hour he was drooping on the stool. Lula and I had a brief whispered plan review, and then I got up. I went to the bar and wedged myself between Rudy and the guy on the next stool, pretending to debate out loud whether I could risk another drink and still drive.

"Why are you worrying about driving?" Rudy asked.

"I came with a friend. She drove, but she's already had a few and she's not ready to leave yet. I'm thinking I'll have to drive home. But I want another drink, I don't want to sit here and sip Coke until she's done." I nodded toward Lula. His eyes followed mine. Lula was jiggling in front of the jukebox pretending to pick out music, but actually she was watching us and the door.

"Oh. Well, do the drunk test."

"What?" I could play the dim bimbo depressingly well.

"You know, the stupid tests the cops make you do if you get stopped driving 'under the influence'."

"You mean like walking a straight line?"

"Yeah."

I looked around at the crowded bar pointedly, getting Rudy to follow my gaze. The bar was nearly standing room only, and I hoped he'd make the obvious suggestion.

"You could go outside where you have more room."

"It's dark already," I let a touch of whine creep into my voice. "I don't want to go out in the lot by myself -- I got mugged last year."

"I could go with you," Rudy offered.

"Oh, would you?" I gushed, leaning into his arm a little and brushing the side of my breast against it. "I'd feel much safer if you were with me."

Rudy teetered off his stool and offered me his arm like a gentleman. The effect was somewhat tarnished when I had to grab it to keep him upright. It looks like I almost waited too long.

We tottered toward the door. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lula follow us a short distance behind.

Rudy paused just outside and took a deep breath, then turned a little green. I had enough time to get him away from the door and propped against the wall before he barfed. Thank god it hit the little patch of grass and not the cement, or I'd have gotten splattered.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. Well, at least if he barfed now it'd be less likely to happen in my Jeep.

"Guess I stood up too fast…I'm a little woosy." He sighed. "I suppose I'll have to take a cab home again tonight."

"Well, you were going to help me," I began slowly, as if weighing the risks. "I could drive you home."

"You would? That'd be great. I live close. Only about si-- (hic) oh, sorry -- six blocks from here."

I walked him to the Jeep and helped him into the back seat, breathing a sigh of relief when I closed the door on him. The child locks on the back doors would keep him from getting out, but I suspected he'd pass out before I made it to the police station anyway. Even as I thought it he started slipping slowly sideways.

Lula came up behind me. "Damn. I don't think we've ever had one this easy."

I laughed. "Once in a while things come together right. Not often, unfortunately." I saw Tank coming across the street and grinned at Lula. "Don't look now, but here comes your favorite big guy."

Lula looked around, and when she spotted Tank her face lit up. She tugged at her skirt and then one hand moved up to pat her hair.

"Thanks for the back-up -- I can handle Rudy from here," I said. "You look really good. Go on and play with Tank and I'll see you later."

" 'Kay. Later."

I started the car and headed out of the lot, but looked back in time to see Tank run a finger along the lace of Lula's top before bending down to kiss her.

I was still smiling when I pulled up at the cop shop. Big Dog was loitering near the back entrance and happily helped me get Rudy up and inside. Robin was working the desk. She gave me a warm smile when I gave her my paperwork.

"It looks like things went smoothly for you tonight, Steph."

"Yeah, he's pretty mellow right now. He may be pissed when he starts to sober up and realizes where he is, though."

"Aren't they all? I think that's just a guy thing," she said as she handed me my receipt, and we both laughed.

Well, I'd gotten one skip - that was enough for today. I went home, called the control room to say I was in, and took a fast shower to get the bar smell off me. Then I settled in with my laptop and opened the Spanish program again.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Knocking woke me, and I fumbled for my clock to see the time. It was ten, not exactly early morning but I'd stayed up late playing with my laptop until the battery went dead.

I had on pajamas so didn't bother looking for my robe. I just shuffled to the door and tiptoed to look through the peep hole. It was Lester.

I had to pull the floor bolt and wrestle the chain off before I could open the door, so by the time it opened I was frowning. I watched Lester's grin fade to that 'oops' look as he took in my flannel pants and wrinkled t-shirt.

"Uh-oh. I woke you up. Tank said you were up before eight yesterday…" he half apologized and half explained. "I thought you'd be up. I'm sorry." Then he added hopefully, "I brought donuts and muffins, will that buy me forgiveness?"

My sigh nearly turned into a snicker, but I moved aside to let him in. "Make coffee while I get dressed and you're forgiven."

I did my best to be quick. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and got dressed in record time, then glared at my hair. It must have been still damp when I went to bed because it was standing up on one side. I scooped it back into a messy ponytail and called it good.

Lester had coffee ready and my favorite mug out. He'd helped himself to a cup and was sitting at my table looking at my file. I poured my coffee, grabbed a couple of paper towels and the bakery bag and slipped into the seat opposite him.

"As you can see, my only FTA isn't exactly dangerous so you don't really need to play bodyguard today," I told him, opening the bag.

"Hey," he protested, "it's been a while since I got to hang out with you so don't be so quick to send me away. Besides that, I want Pino's pizza for lunch today. I've been craving it all week and the other guys won't go because they like Shorty's better."

"You think one pizza is worth following me around all day?"

"I was thinking more ride-along than follow," he hedged, taking a bite of a muffin. "I need a break from the guys. I work with them all the time. They're boring. With you, though, there's always someone interesting around or something bizarre coming up. You're lots more fun."

I laughed and almost choked on my donut. "Lester, I think you've officially lost your mind. Okay. I guess you can be my shadow today."

"_Yes!_ Lunch is my treat."

"I should buy you lunch," I protested.

"I'll flip you for it."

True to his words Lester rode along with me in the Jeep, leaving the black SUV in the lot. Our first stop was the bonds office where I turned in my body receipt and picked up a new file while Lester flirted outrageously with Connie and teased Lula about Tank barely making it back for his shift. He sang with the radio on the way to the bank to deposit my check and cajoled the drive-thru teller into giving us some of the candy they kept for kids.

At lunch Pino's was busy and loud, and the only available table was a two-seater in the middle of the floor. Lester half-danced me across the floor to the music blaring from the overhead speakers. He took the seat facing the wall, which surprised me at first. Then I saw his eyes flicker up over my head and realized he could see the door in the mirror-backed beer signs along the back wall. Like most of Ranger's men he was always on guard. Unlike Ranger, though, there didn't seem to be a reserved bone in his body. He flirted with the waitress until she was flushed before he ordered our pepperoni pizza. I laughingly objected, though, when he tried to order one of the extra-caffeinated soft drinks. If he was going to continue riding around in my vehicle I didn't want him any more hyper or he'd be bouncing off the roof.

During the afternoon we did some poking around on my two FTAs, driving past their residences and those of their relatives, friends, or significant others. The man from yesterday's file still lived with his mother and didn't seem to have many friends. The woman from the new file was a repeat offender for shoplifting and, apparently, a nympho. She had several male friends and one female one that all claimed she was their girlfriend. And I thought _my_ life was a mess!

By late afternoon I was tired. Lester invited me to eat dinner with him. It was sweet and I really did appreciate it, but I just wanted to go home. He walked me up to my apartment "just because" and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before taking off.

I changed into comfy clothes and nuked a frozen dinner _a la _Ella. I played with the Spanish program for a little while but went to bed early. I lay curled around the pillows and let my mind drift to Ranger, and prayed his trip was going well. Speedy would be good, too. I missed him.

Three days down…

_**TBC…**_


	25. Chapter 25

_**A/N: I know you want Ranger back, but you have to wait just like Stephanie! All in good time… Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving Day!**_

_Disclaimer: Characters (except Max!) property of Janet Evanovich and are used without permission solely for entertainment purposes._

_**Chapter 25**_

Thursday morning it was Hal waiting patiently for me in the lot parked next to my Jeep. He said Lester had told him about the nymphomaniac FTA over a beer last night. It wasn't fair for Lester to have all the fun, so he wanted to ride along today. And he wanted donuts!

We arrived at the office with an extra dozen donuts. I said hello to the girls and belatedly remembered to introduce them to Hal - I kept forgetting they didn't know all the Merry Men's names. I asked Connie if there were any new FTAs for me, then we sat while we ate a few bakery delights. Lula wanted to know if I planned to make any apprehensions today - I guess she was worried I'd leave her out since Hal was with me. I told her I didn't think so but promised to call if anything changed.

As we left the office I decided to go talk to Jay Renkovik's mother. I tentatively asked Hal if he'd stay in the Jeep while I talked to her. He was a big guy, and intimidating even without his RangeMan black and utility belt. He wouldn't agree until we pulled up in front of the small row house, then he nodded without arguing. The front door was only ten feet from the curb and he would hear me if I yelled.

Mrs. Renkovik let me in after only a brief hesitation after I explained that her son had missed his court date. It was my job to find him and take him in, but since his crime wasn't major he could probably get bonded out again. She didn't seem to understand so I want a little further and explained if he wasn't found she would forfeit the bond money - and since she'd used her house as collateral it might get nasty.

That changed her attitude. I guess she hadn't been listening when they explained that part of the bond agreement. She knew her house was worth more than the bond but hadn't realized she could be forced to sell or refinance to pay it off.

What had she thought they'd do? Let her make payments?

She decided to be very helpful after that. Jay finally had a girlfriend, it turned out. Mrs. Renkovik didn't have a very good opinion of her - in fact she suspected she was a 'working girl' - but she was pretty sure that's where Jay was hiding out. She had her name and a vague idea of where she lived. When I left I had the feeling Jay was on his own if he needed another bond.

I told Hal what happened in the car on the way back to the office, then had to repeat it all for Lula. I gave Connie the girlfriend's name and approximate address and she ran a search, promising to call when she had an address. It shouldn't take long. We agreed to pick Lula up around three this afternoon to go check it out. That left us several hours to kill so Hal and I drove around some, re-checking the nympho's 'friends' places for signs she was visiting. No new cars. No do not disturb signs. No strange noises.

Hal asked if we could make a quick trip to the music store in the mall, as a CD he wanted had come in. I never turned down an excuse to go to the mall. The trip ended up not being all that quick. Hal bought three CDs besides the one he'd ordered and then we browsed for lunch in the food court. The CD player in my Jeep was dead, though, after we ate so we went back to the apartment to trade it for the RangeMan SUV.

Lula was ready and pacing the sidewalk when went to pick her up. She climbed into the back of the SUV grumbling as soon as Hal stopped. She was fuming and muttering about Vinnie doing something disgusting in the bathroom. I tried really hard not to hear any of the details. Instead I concentrated on the CD Hal was playing. It was different. The CD was called _Once_, by a foreign band called _Nightwish_. The best I could think to describe it was 'rock-opera', if that was even a genre.

Lula wound down from her rant and there was quiet from the back for a few minutes.

"What kind of music is this?"

I gave Hal a look that let him know that question was all his. He told Lula the name of the band. She'd never heard of it either.

After another couple of minutes, she said, "This part makes me think of a movie I saw."

I nodded. It did me, too.

"That part of _Lord of the Rings_ - I don't remember which one - where they riding horses really fast."

"No," I disagreed before I could stop myself. "It's more like _Pirates of the Caribbean_."

"I know you don't mean the last one. They only had two damn songs in that whole movie!"

"Okay, maybe not the last one. Maybe it was one of the first two."

"Nuh-uh! It sounds more like fairies on horses!"

Lula was all spun up again. I half-turned in the passenger seat so I could watch her waving her arms around and saw that Hal was grinning.

He noticed me looking and shot me a bigger grin. "Les was right. Riding _with_ you is a lot more fun." When Lula paused for breath he told her the music wall all original, and not on soundtracks from any movie. We just listened to the music after that.

Jay's girlfriend lived in a ground-floor apartment of an old brick building several blocks off Stark. After a brief discussion we decided to have Lula go to the door on the off-chance she might know the girl. I waited at the mouth of the alley so I could watch the windows and the fire escape down the side of the building. Hal pulled on a black leather jacket and sunglasses in an attempt to blend in and slouched against the wall of the building halfway between the front entry and the alley where he could hopefully assist either one of us.

For a brick building, the walls weren't very sound-proof. I heard Lula's knock clearly even at the alley. Evidently she didn't recognize the girlfriend because I could hear Lula go into her bond-enforcement spiel. I just hoped she didn't have her gun out.

There was some shouting between Lula and the girlfriend, and sure enough, Jay rolled out a window under the fire escape and took off down the alley.

I shouted to Hal as I took off in pursuit. Jay was quick, built like a skinny little rabbit, but he wasn't running at top speed. I suspect it was because his clothes had just been thrown on. It looked like we interrupted some bedroom fun.

I was gaining on Jay and Hal was right behind me when I stumbled in a pothole and lurched forward. I caught a handful of denim as I fell, tripping Jay and bringing him down, too. Unfortunately, his jeans were just pulled on, not fastened. Now they were around his knees - and Jay hadn't wasted time on underwear.

Hal burst out laughing. Jay was rolling around in the grit and broken glass of the alley and swearing, trying to get up but hampered by the jeans. Lula arrived, slightly out of breath. I got to my feet and Hal helped me haul Jay upright. Once Hal had a good grip on him, we let Jay get his jeans up and zipped before we cuffed him. Then we all trooped back to the SUV.

At the station Lula stayed in the SUV while Hal walked Jay in with me. I'd just collected my body receipt and turned to leave when I felt a touch on my shoulder.

"Hey, Cupcake."

Hal's eyes met mine for an instant then he gave a miniscule nod and continued down the hall. He stopped by the door, in sight but out of earshot, leaning against the wall to wait. I turned to look up at Morelli.

Joe's eyes flicked to the end of the hall, then back to me. "Got a new stalker, Steph?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Then why does Manoso have a guard on you?"

"He's not a bodyguard."

"He's one of Ranger's men, isn't he? I've seen him around."

"He works at RangeMan, yes."

"Are you dating him?"

Sheesh! Joe and I broke up months ago, and he was still calling me Cupcake and giving me the third degree over everything. I guess it had become a habit but still, it was getting old. And it was none of his business. He was dating someone else.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no, I'm not dating Hal."

"So you finally got Manoso to admit his feelings for you," Joe started tightly, then he stopped himself and took a breath. He gave me a faint wry grin. "I saw you at Rossini's with him Sunday night. You looked beautiful in that red dress."

"Thanks, Joe."

"So where is he?"

I sighed. "Ranger had to go out of town for a while and for some reason the guys have decided to mother-hen me. They don't seem to mind lending a hand when I need it, though, so I'm not complaining."

"Ranger's orders?"

I huffed and turned away, but Joe's hand caught at my elbow. I gasped and he jerked it away.

"Steph, your elbow is bleeding."

I knew my elbow stung but didn't realize it was bleeding. "I must have landed on it when I fell, I guess."

"Want to use the first aid box?"

I checked the floor around me. No blood drips splattered on the tile, so it must not be that bad. "No. I'll just go home and get cleaned up. But thanks for the offer."

"Anytime. Take care, Cupcake."

It was after five when Hal opened the SUV door for me, and Lula was more than ready to go. Besides not liking to be this close to cops, she also had plans for later and didn't want to be late getting home. We dropped her back at the bonds office to get her car, Hal gallantly waiting until she'd gotten in and roared off before driving me home.

I was beat. My elbow was aching now, and I felt gritty from the fall in the alley. Hal walked me upstairs and I wasn't too surprised to find Bobby standing in my open doorway.

"You know, it's only a skinned elbow," I started to protest.

"I brought Pino's meatball subs," he countered.

I blinked. Okay, that sounded like a lot like a bribe, but I was tired and hungry. So what if they were being overprotective?

"Alright. But I need to take a quick shower first."

They guys didn't mind. Bobby handed Hal a beer and they turned on the TV as I headed for my room. I grabbed a change of underwear, a tee-shirt, and a pair of sweatpants and ducked into the bathroom. I was washed and dressed with my hair in a towel turban in less than ten minutes.

Bobby did a quick cleaning with an antiseptic wash and applied salve and a gauze pad. Instead of tape he wrapped stretchy gauze that stuck to itself around my arm over my elbow. It was more comfortable than tape.

We ate subs and potato chips and pickles in front of the TV, watching a rerun of CSI first and then finding a channel playing _Grosse Pointe Blank_. Around nine-thirty they left. I locked up behind them and looked around. The guys had cleaned up the dinner refuse. Even the wet towel I'd had around my hair had been tidied away. All I had to do was go to bed.

I pulled my bra out from under my t-shirt, shucked the sweatpants, and climbed under the covers, rearranging the pillows to hug against me. The scent of Bulgari lingered but was fading. I curled myself around it, sniffing back tears.

_Four days down…_

_**TBC…**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**A/N: I only know a few words of Spanish, so I'm getting my translations from BabelFish. If I screw up feel free to correct me.**_

_Disclaimer: Characters you recognize are property of Janet Evanovich and are used shamelessly without permission. I make no money, just playing. Reviews keep me writing!_

_**Chapter 26**_

Waking up early was getting to be a habit. I was out of bed and dressed by eight, so I made coffee and pop-tarts and sat down with my laptop at the table. Since I'd gone to bed right after the guys left I hadn't spent any time with my Spanish project last night, and I was eager to get back at it. I was beginning to understand simple phrases in both the written and spoken sections and was getting better at pronouncing the sounds right. I went through another lesson, pausing occasionally to refill my coffee, and finished it about nine-thirty. Proud of my progress I shut down the laptop and got ready for my day.

I decided to drive by the known associates of Cindy Solano, the apparent nymphomaniac, and see if I could catch her before she started her day. Apparently she was on the move during the afternoons.

I was turning a corner heading for her 'girlfriend's' house when I saw a little blue Mazda pull away from the curb and head off. Cindy's file had listed her car as a Mazda, but she turned the corner and by the time I reached it, she was gone. Damn! Well, I'd start earlier tomorrow and maybe I'd get lucky.

The office was my next stop. I turned in my receipts and got my check. There were no new files. I filched a donut from the open box on the desk as I chatted a few minutes, then I headed home. It was Friday, and I'd promised to go to dinner tonight. Other than that I had nothing going on. I was getting in my Jeep to head home when my cell rang.

"Hey, Stephanie," Bobby's voice was cheerful but sounded a little stressed. "Any chance I could borrow you for a couple of hours?"

"I'm pretty free until dinnertime," I admitted cautiously. "What's up? You sound…frazzled."

He gave a short laugh. "You could say that. We could use your help for a while. A wreck over near the 295 overpass rolled into a big transformer and took out the power lines along Kuser Road, and several of the banks along there are clients. We need to cover there until power is restored, and if you could take a monitor watch it'd free up another body to send out."

I'd done monitors for a few hours before when I'd been working there full-time and several guys had come down with food poisoning, so I knew the basics. "No problem. I just got in my car so I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Thank you." There was relief in his voice.

I went straight to the control room. Bobby and Woody were watching monitors and the rest of the office was pretty deserted. Bobby was on the phone. As soon as I walked in Woody stood up and gave me his headset.

"You remember the ropes?" he asked.

I nodded and he took off.

I adjusted the chair so I could see the monitors and reach the keyboard, and put the headset on. Bobby finished his call and sighed.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"I think so. We've got men to cover all the accounts affected, as long as the power can be restored soon. If we go past business hours I'll have to call in contract labor or see if we can borrow from the Boston office. Tank's in Ranger's office checking who might be available, just in case." He took a breath and shifted in his chair. "The power company has already sent a repair crew out. Just cross your fingers nothing else happens."

No kidding! There were four, maybe five big banks along that stretch of Kuser Road. It would take a lot of guys just to have one man on each door.

A couple of hours passed. Tank came in and spelled us so we could do bathroom breaks, and we had bottled water at hand. When they figured out I hadn't eaten lunch Tank brought me a chicken salad sandwich from the break room and told us the wreck was caused by a semi-truck trailer of hardware supplies that broke loose from the truck and went through the fence at the bottom of the hill. Around four the security feeds from the banks began to flicker back on. By five they were all up and working and the guys were beginning to trickle back in.

Woody came in but waved me back down when I started to relinquish his chair. "I've got to reset the systems and run a quick test before I can take over again," he explained as he moved to another keyboard. "Can you hang in there another fifteen minutes or so?"

"Sure." I said. I had a little under half an hour before I needed to leave to make dinner by six, and if I was going to be late I'd call. I didn't mind leftovers.

At a quarter to six things were back on-line and running smoothly. Bobby and Tank both thanked me and I headed for the elevator. Truthfully, I'd been glad to be useful. They'd helped me often enough.

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor on the way down, and Hector got on carrying a bulky equipment bag. It swung and bumped my leg when he stopped. He murmured something in Spanish and gave me an apologetic look.

I realized with a jolt of excitement that I understood that he'd said _'I'm sorry_.'

"_E__s acceptable,"_ I carefully answered. (It's okay.)

His eyes shot to mine in surprise, both eyebrows climbing. "_Usted ha aprendido español?"_

I caught most of that, enough to guess what he'd asked. I didn't know the Spanish words to answer yet, though, so I shrugged. "I'm trying."

A huge smile nearly slit his face. _"__Buena mujer!"_

I knew _buena _meant 'good', but I didn't know the other word. I must have looked a little confused because Hector laughed.

"_Hombre?"_ he said it as a question, pointing at himself.

I nodded. I knew it was used for men but wasn't exactly sure of the translation.

"_Mujer,"_ he said slowly, and pointed at me.

I didn't get it; I shrugged. Hector didn't give up.

"_Hombre,"_ he repeated, patting his chest. Then he made an exaggerated hourglass figure in the air in front of him and cupped his hands under imaginary breasts. "_Mujer."_

Oh!

"Woman?"

"Yes!" Hector said. "_Mujer --_ woman."

I grinned at his pleased expression. The elevator dinged its arrival at the garage and the doors slid open. I waved goodbye to Hector and the camera in the garage, and got into my Jeep. Hector carried the equipment bag toward the door that led to the gun range, and I headed to my parents for dinner.

Grandma met me at the door. Mom was still busy in the kitchen. I'd arrived just in time to set the table for the four of us, working around Dad who was already in his chair. I hugged him from behind and got a startled grunt.

"Did you drive the cab much this week?" I asked conversationally.

"Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. I picked up some Italians at the airport and took them to their hotel yesterday. None of them spoke English worth a crap. They paid cash, but I had to write the amount on paper before they understood what I meant."

"What, no charades?" I asked with a laugh, thinking about my elevator conversation with Hector. "I know what you mean. One of Ranger's guys only speaks Spanish, as far as I know. It's always interesting to try to talk to him."

"How can he work there if he doesn't speak English?" Dad asked, curious.

"I don't think it's a problem - most of them speak some Spanish, at least. I know Ranger speaks several languages."

"Does he speak the language of love?" Grandma cackled. She was putting a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table and overheard my last comment.

I ignored her, hoping I wasn't blushing. I was pretty sure most of the marks on my neck had faded, and the one that hadn't was covered by my shirt.

"I'm trying to learn some Spanish. I bought a computer program that teaches it, and so far it's kind of fun. I understood some of what Hector said to me today."

"You working at Ranger's company again?"

"No, but they had a minor emergency today and I helped out in the control room for a little while."

Grandma was back with green beans. "So where's the Cuban cutie? I haven't seen him around for a while."

"He's out of town right now, Grandma." I grinned. "I'm going to tell him you called him that the next time I see him."

I think Grandma may have blushed. Jez, Ranger affected women of every age!

Dinner was nice, the pot roast was perfect and Mom had a chocolate torte for dessert. I had seconds, then helped clear the table and do the dishes before I left. Back at my apartment I did another Spanish lesson, then took a glass of wine with me to take a bubble bath. I sipped and practiced saying phrases as I soaked for a while, then I got ready for bed. I was tired; the mattress felt welcoming as I curled around my pillows.

So far keeping busy was helping. I missed Ranger, true, but I was doing okay. I hugged my pillow, closed my eyes, and dreamed of him beside me.

_Five days and counting…_

_**TBC…**_


	27. Chapter 27

_Disclaimer: Not my characters, not making money, not even getting many reviews when there's no smut content…!_

_**Chapter 27**_

Saturday morning the phone woke me and I answered it half asleep. I woke up fast.

It was Val, and she was frantic. Mary Alice had fallen down the stairs and had possibly broken her leg. Val needed to get her to the hospital, but she needed someone to sit with Lisa. Angie was at a sleep-over and Albert was at work. I could hear Mary Alice crying in the background.

"I'll be there as soon as I can!" I said, and flew out of bed. I grabbed yesterday's jeans, pulled a sweatshirt on over the t-shirt I'd slept in, stuffed my feet into my Doc Martins, and shot out of the bedroom. My purse and keys were on the kitchen counter - I had a hairbrush and hair-ties in it, so I could deal with my hair later. I snatched a jacket from the hook, yanked the door open and crashed into Cal, who was about to knock.

I nearly screamed. He just looked a little startled. But he picked up on my urgency right away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately ready to help.

"Valerie emergency," I said, taking off down the hall and down the stairs. Cal kept pace easily. "Mary Alice fell and maybe broke her leg. Val needs me to baby-sit - right now!"

Cal faltered on the last step. "Baby-sit?"

I tossed him a grin. "Yeah, baby Lisa. You remember her - you were there when she was born!"

He looked a little pale, but Cal was back in step with me going out the lobby door. "I'll drive," he said.

Now _I_ almost stumbled. Cal was coming to baby-sit with me? Maybe he was just going to drop me off. I didn't ask questions, I just jumped into the SUV. He had it started and in gear before my door was completely shut.

"You can just drop me off," I offered.

Cal shrugged calmly, even while he was taking corners practically on two wheels. "I'd like to stay for a little while and see the baby, if that's okay. I haven't seen her since she was born."

I'm glad I was sitting down or I'd have fallen over.

He pulled to the curb in front of the house and I hopped out and ran to the door. Val opened the door already talking but faltered when she saw Cal coming up behind me.

"You remember Cal, don't you? Go ahead, Val, get Mary Alice taken care of. Lisa will be fine."

Mary Alice was on the sofa, still crying, with her right leg propped up on a pillow. She stopped crying when she saw Cal.

"I like your picture," she said, with wide eyes fixed on Cal's flaming skull tattoo. It had that effect on a lot of people.

Cal smiled and knelt in front of her. "Thanks. What happened to you?"

"I was galloping down the stairs and fell. I'm a horse, you know."

"I've heard that. I guess you should still walk down the stairs if you're a horse, the same as for humans. Stairs can be tricky if you're going too fast. Would it be okay with you for me to carry you to the car?"

Mary Alice nodded and Cal scooped her up gently, starting for the door behind Val. Mary Alice only had eyes for Cal's forehead tattoo. I grabbed the pillow and followed.

"How did you get that picture to stay on your head?" she asked.

"They used little needles, and put special ink under my skin so it doesn't wash off."

She wrinkled her nose at the mention of needles. "Didn't that hurt?"

Cal's lips twitched in a barely-there grin. "Not at the time, but it hurt pretty bad the next day, and it was sore for a week. I wouldn't recommend it."

Cal deposited her gently into her booster seat and stepped back so Val could buckle it. I handed over the pillow for her to prop Mary Alice's leg on. I knew from experience that just the small bumps of riding in the car hurt if something was broken.

"Thank you!" Valerie called as she jumped into the driver's seat. We watched her drive away before turning back to the house.

It was only a few minutes after nine. The emergency room wouldn't be too busy this time of day, would it? With any luck they wouldn't be gone too long. I headed for the house to find Lisa.

She was still asleep in her room, even after all the commotion. Well, I guess with Mary Alice in the house, she was probably used to a lot of noise going on all the time. I smiled at the sight of the tiny girl curled in the crib, and Cal stepped up beside me.

"Wow," he said very softly. "She's really grown! How old is she now?"

"A year last month," I answered. I couldn't resist teasing him a little. "You should remember that since you were there."

He gave me a sheepish face. "I actually don't remember much of that, even though the guys took great pleasure ribbing me about it. I was still a little out of it for almost a week after I got out of the hospital."

I started to say something, then stopped and motioned to him to follow me out of the room. "I'm sorry," I said as we started downstairs. "I didn't know. I only knew they released you after two nights - I didn't realize your concussion was that bad."

Cal just waved away my apology. I led the way to the kitchen and we found the coffee pot full. Cal offered to go get breakfast for me, and I asked him to get donuts. While he was gone I brushed my hair. By the time I got the tangles out it looked like an afro, and only a shower would cure it. I bundled it into a knot instead, using several of my hair-ties to secure it. I used a little of Val's makeup to fix my face. It made me feel better if nothing else.

After Cal got back we had time for a cup of coffee and a couple of donuts each before Lisa woke up. I got her up, changed her diaper, and dressed her in a one-piece outfit that would be easy for her to crawl around in. She could walk some, but last I saw her she still preferred all fours to feet. I wasn't too surprised when she took to Cal quickly - he seemed to be good with kids. He settled her into her high chair while I fixed her breakfast. I sliced part of a banana onto her plastic panda plate, with a small handful of cereal O's and a small piece of donut. Cal laughed when she went for the donut first.

We sat at the table with Lisa, watching her eat and sipping more coffee. It struck me as surreal for a few minutes… me sitting in a kitchen with a Merry Man and a baby, drinking coffee as if we did it every day. I loved Lisa, and didn't mind watching her occasionally, but it was too 'normal' an existence for me. I didn't belong in this picture.

Lisa let me wash off her face and hands after she finished mangling her banana - she kept trying to feed Cal - and we moved to the living room which was crowded with toys. We turned cartoons on low and watched Lisa toddling around unsteadily, dragging toys out of the box in the corner, and talked. Cal moved to the bench of the small piano Valerie bought so the girls could take lessons. He ran his fingers over the keys and we both made a face. It was out of tune. Not the worst I'd heard, but not great either.

I watched, bemused, as Cal lifted the lid of the storage bench and poked around, then did the same to the top of the piano. Finally he gave a satisfied little grunt and reached inside, coming out with a thin metal wrench-looking tool, and started tuning the piano.

"How do you know how to do this?" I asked, moving closer to watch. "How do you know which thing to turn?"

"My dad is a musician, and he does service and repair on all kinds of musical instruments. I used to help." He played a few notes and moved the tool to another set of strings. "I learned a lot."

I divided my attention between watching Lisa play on the floor and watching Cal. When he put the tool down and sat on the bench I took notice. I was not surprised he could play. But twenty minutes later I was still amazed how _well_ he could play. He'd played a couple of pieces I new only from music-appreciation class at college. Lisa had even crawled up in my lap to watch him.

The last notes were dying away when we heard a small "Wow!" come from the front door. Valerie and Mary Alice were back.

Her leg wasn't broken, Valerie reported. It was a bad sprain, so she'd have to wear a brace with a wrap around it for a while, but no cast. I got Valerie to sit down as she told me what happened, and I brought her a donut and a cup of coffee.

"Thank you! When did you get donuts?"

"Cal got them for us before Lisa woke up. She got up about nine forty-five and she's had a little breakfast - banana, some cereal, and I gave her a quarter of a glazed donut."

Valerie frowned. "Mary Alice hasn't had breakfast yet, either. I completely forgot."

We looked. Mary Alice was on the bench next to Cal, watching his fingers move along the keys as he played a children's' song. Then she played part of it with him one-handed. Lisa began trying to climb up his leg to get into his lap. Valerie laughed.

"He's good with kids," she said, giving me wide eyes. I ignored her subtle nudge. "Is he married?"

"No, I don't think so," I answered calmly. I knew how to divert her attention today. "Few of the RangeMan guys are. You remember him, don't you?"

I had to hide my grin when she looked at him more closely, frowning. She gave up and shook her head no.

"He's the one who was at Lisa's birth - the one that passed out and gave himself a concussion when your water broke on him."

Valerie went three shades of red, and I decided Cal and I should probably be going.

We left the rest of the donuts for Valerie - I think she may need a pick-me-up later. Mary Alice said goodbye to Cal and politely asked him to please visit again. Lisa waved and babbled at him. Even Valerie managed to regain her composure enough to thank him for tuning the piano and compliment him on his playing.

Cal was quiet but had a faint smile as we climbed into the SUV. "Thanks for letting me come, Steph. It was kind of fun."

"Yeah," I agreed. "They're great kids, especially in small doses."

A few blocks later he asked if I wanted to go by the bonds office. I didn't really want to go anywhere else with my bed-hair, so I called Connie instead. No new FTAs, she said, at least so far, and she'd call if anything new came in.

"I don't need to go," I told Cal. "I guess just take me back home, if you don't mind." He just nodded. We stopped for a red light and I decided to satisfy my growing curiosity. "Cal? Did Ranger ask you guys to watch over me while he was gone?"

He hesitated briefly before answering. "No… I mean, we've had standing orders for a long time to help if you need it, but that's all."

"So how come one of you has been around nearly every day?" I asked. "Don't get me wrong--" I added hastily. "I've enjoyed getting to know all of you a little better, and I've had a lot of fun, but still…" I ran out of words to explain myself and stopped, flustered. I just didn't want to be costing RangeMan money.

A small smile was creeping across Cal's face. "Let me explain something, Steph. There are a lot of us guys at RangeMan that are ex-military, trained to intimidate and kill if necessary. We're used to taking off whenever and wherever orders take us. The others are pretty much society's outcasts -- ex-gang members, ex-cons, ex-addicts or thugs. It's hard for us to find a woman who'll even date us, much less stick around long-term, so we spend long hours on the job, work out, drink too much, and go home alone. Including Ranger. Then you came along and turned us all upside down.

We thought Ranger had lost his mind when he first started helping you." He cut his eyes to me briefly, grinning. "Hell, you even got him shot the first time he went to back you up, and he hadn't been shot in years!"

I made a strangled sound of embarrassment, but he chuckled and went on.

"Once a few of us met you it started to make more sense. You're beautiful, of course, but that wasn't it. You were different. You might have blinked at your first sight of us, but you never saw us as big creepy thugs. We were just guys. We worked for Ranger, and if he trusted us that was good enough for you. You trusted us. And you'd stand up for any of us, anytime, anywhere, to anyone. You've proved that.

Now, we all know how you feel about Ranger - and how he feels about you, even if it did take him forever to get his head out of his ass and admit it. Hell, I think we're all a little bit in love with you, even Hector! You make working with you in any capacity fun.

DC's timing sucks. Any one of us would have gone in Ranger's place, but they specifically asked for him. So we decided we'd at least keep you company and maybe help you out a little until he gets back. Ranger didn't ask. Tank didn't request. We all volunteered."

I was struck dumb. I was positive I've never heard any of the Merry Men say so much at one time. I opened my mouth and shut it again, not at all sure what to say. I was so rattled I didn't even realize we were parked in the lot of my building again.

"Like I said, most of us don't have girlfriends, or families anywhere close. Spending some time with you on our days off is a hell of a lot more fun than sitting around watching TV or playing solitaire by yourself."

"Days off?" I repeated faintly.

Cal laughed and slid out of the SUV, coming around and helping me out my side. He slung one arm around me and led me into the building and to the elevator.

"Yeah, days off. Like I said, Ranger didn't ask, we volunteered. We like you and you're fun to be around."

"Why didn't Lester or Hal say anything?"

"Didn't want to make a big deal of it, probably."

"Well, I'm glad you told me. And I really appreciate it."

I unlocked my door and Cal followed me inside. My eyes fell on the lone file I'd left on the coffee table and sighed. I'd planned to go around Cindy Solano's friends' homes first thing this morning to see if I could catch her early, but it was too late now. Maybe I'd go late tonight.

Cal followed my eyes and asked what I was thinking about. I explained about my skip and my delayed plan.

"So you don't have anything going on this afternoon?" he asked. When I shook my head he asked if I'd go to the movies with him. It wasn't as much fun going alone.

"Sure, I'd like that," I agreed. "Do you know what time it starts?"

"At two." It was almost eleven-thirty now. "I'm assuming since you left in a rush this morning that you want to take a shower and stuff?"

"Yeah. Want to watch TV, or do you have something else you want to do?"

"I've got a couple of errands. Can you be ready in an hour? I'll come pick you up and we can get lunch somewhere before the movie, if you want."

"That sounds good. I'll hurry!" Impulsively I crossed the floor and gave Cal a hug. "Thanks, Cal." He squeezed me back and then took off.

_**TBC…**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**A/N: Hang in there, the 'boring' part is almost over… I have to admit, breaking 400 reviews really made me feel good and you'll get your reward later! Thanks to everyone who's stayed with me so far, I really appreciate your comments and encouragement!**_

_Disclaimer: Most characters owned by Janet Evanovich et al, and used without permission just for fun. I promise not to break any of them and will return them when they're done playing…_

_**Chapter 28**_

As soon as Cal was out the door I locked it behind him and rushed to the bathroom to shower. I didn't waste any time, just quickly took care of the necessities and got out, slathering lotion on my legs and arms and wrapping my hair in a towel. I rushed to the bedroom naked and pulled on a panty-and-bra set. I found clean jeans to pull on and searched through my closet to find something a little more feminine than a t-shirt, finally settling on a soft blue polo decorated with kanji and line-art flowers. I really wasn't kidding when I told Lula during our shopping trip that I didn't have any just 'good' clothes anymore. Even my old work clothes from EE Martin were gone, thanks to my various psycho stalkers.

I zoomed back into the bathroom and blasted my hair until it was mostly-dry, pinning it back at the sides and just letting it curl. I put on everyday makeup but added a little colored lip-gloss and stuck plain gold studs in my ears. Stepping back, I surveyed the result. Not bad. Going to the movie with Cal wasn't a date, exactly, but I still wanted to look nice. He, like the other Merry Men, had been in 'civilian' clothes this morning - dark wash jeans and a wine-colored polo shirt, which oddly enough didn't clash with his flaming skull tattoo.

I was giving myself a spritz of cologne when I heard him knock. One hour on the dot - and I was actually ready.

I grabbed my purse and a windbreaker on the way to open the door. Cal checked out my transformation with a smile.

"Wow," he said teasingly. "You look nice, and you're on time, too! I love prompt women!"

"I pride myself in always being on time," I informed him in my best 'Burg Princess voice, then grinned. "Besides, I'm hungry!"

"Where would you like to eat? Pino's?"

"Although I never get tired of it, I've had Pino's twice in the last two days so I'll let you pick. I like most food, and can find something I like almost anywhere."

"I'm guessing Cluck-In-A-Bucket is not a good idea?"

I laughed out loud. "If you take me in there you'll get chased out with fire extinguishers! They don't like me at all for some reason! When I want chicken I have to get Lula to go through the drive-thru for me."

Cal took me to an out-of-the way little Greek place. We sat in the back and ate gyros, Cal grinning at me when I licked the sauce off my fingers. He even ordered baklava. By the time we finished I had to go wash my hands again.

The multiplex was busy when we arrived, with a lot of teens and almost-teens hanging out in the lobby watching for friends. I started to ask Cal what he wanted to see but he'd already pulled tickets out of his pocket and was guiding me toward the auditorium doors.

The ticket-taker tore the tickets and handed the stubs back to Cal. He waited until we were several yards down the hall before he handed me my stub, and my jaw dropped.

I looked up at him in surprise. I'd expected him to want to see the new Bourne movie, or the new one with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe -- this was almost the last movie I'd guess he'd choose.

"What?" he asked defensively. "I want to see it, and you know none of the guys would come with me. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind," I said, giving him a smile. "Actually, I've been wanting to see _August_ _Rush_, too."

The little wrinkle between his eyebrows smoothed out and he smiled. "Thanks."

Cal was good to watch movies with. He didn't fidget or lean or talk after the lights went down. The first time the movie made me cry he just handed me a large white cotton handkerchief; the second time he put his arm around me. And when the credits rolled he led me out a side door directly to the rest rooms so I could check to make sure my mascara hadn't run.

Over ice cream we talked about the movie and I thanked him again for taking me, and for helping me baby-sit this morning. I gave him directions and on the way back to my apartment we detoured to drive by Cindy Solano's friends' houses. We spotted her car, but it was parked about halfway between one of the boyfriend's apartments and the girlfriend's. We got out of the SUV to sneak closer for a better look.

Cindy seemed to be at the girl's apartment; the boyfriend didn't appear to be home. The girlfriend lived in a basement apartment with ground-level windows but we were having a hard time finding a place where we could peek without being seen. Cal was looking around the corner of the building, thinking he'd heard something. He turned back to say something and his eyes went wide -- just as a pair of arms came around me from behind.

I reacted instinctively, throwing my head backwards first and hearing the dull thud of my head bouncing off someone's chin, then curling forward to break the grip. No one was more surprised than I was when my assailant flew through the air and landed at my feet.

Cal started to laugh, the snicker-and-snort kind that comes out when you're trying _not_ to laugh. I just stood there looking down with my mouth hanging open as Lester looked up at me. The look on his face was a blend of shock, surprise, and a little bit of hurt as he reached up and rubbed his jaw.

_"Ooww_. What the he--heck was that?" he asked, making no move to get up.

"Lester! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was you! You scared the shit out of me!" My heart was speeding right along on adrenaline. He really had scared me.

Cal offered Lester a hand to get up, still laughing under his breath. "Oh God, Les! I _really_ wish I had that on camera - the look on your face…!" He cracked up anew when Lester reached back and rubbed his butt with one hand and held his jaw with the other, as if he couldn't decide which one hurt worse.

I brushed some dead grass off the back of Lester's leather jacket, absently noting he wasn't in RangeMan black either. I couldn't tell if his jacket got scraped when he landed, but I guess better the leather than his skin.

"Have you been taking judo lessons on the sly, Beautiful?" Lester asked in a teasing voice. "Because that was a damn fine throw."

My face heated and I hoped it was dark enough to hide my blush. "No judo. That was what Valerie used to do to me when we were kids and fighting about something. Only I usually let go before the flying part."

That set Cal off again, and then Lester started laughing. I sighed and leaned back against the brick wall to wait them out. Fortunately it didn't last too long and by the time they were back to normal I'd had an idea.

"Hey, guys, since you're both here, watch the back while I go to the door. I'm pretty sure Cindy will try to slip out instead of confronting me. Grab her for me and I'll buy pizza and beer."

They looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded.

"Sounds good to me," Lester said.

"Me too," said Cal, "but can I have a rain-check on the reward? I've got early shift tomorrow so I should be heading back before too much later."

"Okay. You can cash in next time you're off - just let me know."

The guys found a place to lurk unseen while I went in and found the right apartment. I slipped my handcuffs into my back pocket and had my hand in my purse on my stun-gun as I banged on the door of 4C.

Miranda, the short dark-haired 'girlfriend' answered the door. I started into my spiel and she tried to shut the door on me. I got my foot in the crack and slapped the door, hard, with the palm of my hand. Miranda started yelling at me, but in the next room I heard the stutter of a sticky window sash. Cindy was off and running.

I ran back around the building and found Cindy already in cuffs, a Merry Man on either side of her holding her loosely by her elbows. She was kicking and cussing up a storm and was drawing breath in to scream when I reached them. I pulled out my stun-gun and zapped her and the guys both jumped. Oops, I guess they got a tingle, too. The guys caught her as her knees buckled and eased her down.

Evidently she'd been loud enough to drown out an argument the guys were in the middle of, because now I could hear them.

"…I'm not that scary looking," Cal was grumbling.

"She turned around so fast she bounced off of me," Lester argued. "And I only said you looked a _little_ scary."

"Steph doesn't think I look scary,"

"Man, Steph doesn't think _**Tank**_ looks scary."

Pause. "Good point."

"Are you done arguing?" I broke in before they could get started again. "I think we should get Cindy delivered to lockup before she wakes up and starts screaming."

Lester and Cal picked Cindy up, and Lester bent down and hoisted her over his shoulder. Then he took off around the building and Cal turned to me.

"Lester said he'd drive you to the station and then home, if that's okay with you. Like I mentioned, I've got early shift tomorrow."

"No problem, Cal. Thanks for hanging out with me today, I had fun."

"Me, too," he grinned. "Even the babysitting was fun. I'm going to head home, but don't forget you can call if you need anything."

"Okay. And don't forget I owe you pizza and beer."

"I won't!" he promised. I impulsively gave him a hug. From the slight hesitation before he hugged me back I'd guess it had been a long time since he'd been hugged. "Thanks, Steph."

Cal walked me to Lester's truck. Lester and I headed to the station, and Cal headed home.

"Lester? I know there are apartments on the fourth floor of the RangeMan building, but who actually lives there? Does Cal?"

"At the moment, yeah, Cal lives in one full time, Number Three. Tank has Number One because it's too far to drive to his house except when he has a couple of days off. Two is set up more like a bunkhouse, I guess, than a regular apartment. There are two small bedrooms set up with two beds each, a bathroom, and a living room and kitchenette area. Several of us crash there when there's a lot going on or if the weather's being nasty. I think nearly everyone who lives off-site keeps a bag stashed in there for emergencies. Four and Five are empty right now, and I think Max just moved into Six."

He paused as I digested all the information.

"Why do you ask, Beautiful?"

I flashed him a quick smile. "I'm just being nosy. I've been curious for a long time but wasn't really comfortable enough to ask anyone." That made him grin, and it reminded me what Cal told me this morning. "I appreciate all of you spending time with me. It does help, and I like getting to know you a little better."

"It's our pleasure, Steph. You're fun to be around."

It was quiet at the police station - day business was done, and it would be hours before the bar-crawlers would start being brought in. Lester helped me get a still-woosy Cindy inside then went back to the truck to wait. I didn't know the desk sergeant on duty and he didn't appear to know me, just filled out my receipt and handed it over. I was climbing back into Lester's truck in only a few minutes.

"Where to, Steph?" he asked as he started the engine.

I looked the dark sky. "What time is it?" I asked, too lazy to find my phone to check. I'd given up wearing a watch after the last one got ruined.

"It's 18:58." Les said, then laughed when I gave him a pissy look. "It's two minutes before seven p.m." he translated.

"Well, it's too late to go by the bonds office, and I don't have any other skips right now. Have you eaten? I could buy you the pizza and beer I promise," I offered.

"Is pizza what you're hungry for?" he countered.

Dang, I must be transparent. "Actually, Chinese sounds better to me."

"That sounds good to me, too. Eat in, carry out, or delivery?" he asked. He looked over at me as he put the truck into gear and answered his own question. For some reason I was suddenly starting to droop. "Delivery it is. You call it in and I'll buy. I want sesame chicken if they have it, and crab Rangoon."

I called it in, adding pork lo-mein, egg rolls and fortune cookies to the order. Lester pulled the truck into an empty slot near my Jeep and reached into the back seat, turning back around with a Blockbuster bag.

The elevator was out again and we had to take the stairs, but he didn't make any comments about me being slow, just set his pace to mine. At my door he took my keys and opened it for me. He didn't do the full-out sweep of the apartment, but I did see his eyes checking to make sure everything looked okay.

"Do you mind if I change clothes?" I asked. For a moment Lester's face was easy to read as a lecherous grin flashed, but he refrained from saying what he'd been thinking.

"Its fine with me," he said.

I headed into the bedroom to find something more comfortable and maybe a little warmer to wear. The weather was starting to turn, and even though it wasn't really cold out yet my apartment tended to feel chilly if I wasn't moving around. Once the temperatures fell enough the building's heat would get cranked up; the older folks living here didn't like the ache their bones got from the cold. I settled on plaid flannel pajama pants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and pulled on furry socks Valerie had given me for my birthday.

Lester was in the kitchen pouring soft drinks over ice. He'd already found dishes and napkins, and everything was waiting on the coffee table with the food containers and the bag of movies. I investigated the bag as Les carried the drinks over. There were two new action movies…and the first Harry Potter movie.

I raised my eyebrows at Les, who just shrugged. "I've never seen it," was all he said.

Actually, I'd never gotten around to watching it, either, and my nieces talked about it. So we put it in and parceled out the food. Lester shared his sesame chicken, so I was nice and shared my lo-mein and egg rolls, even getting brave enough to try my newly-acquired skill with chopsticks with the take-out ones. I wasn't at all surprised that Lester was good with them.

The movie was better than I'd expected, and when it was over we sat on the couch talking like kids about magic and what we'd do if we had a magic wand or a spell-book. Lester was comfortable to talk to when he wasn't flirting. I was snug on my end of the cushions with a lap blanket tucked around me, listening to Lester's voice…and dozed off.

I woke up at seven-thirty the next morning, tucked into bed wearing what I'd had on last night, still hugging my fleece lap blanket. I shuffled into the bathroom trying to decide if I should be embarrassed or not. I decided I should at least call him later and apologize. Especially since I found he'd cleaned up the kitchen and put the leftovers into the fridge for me. But what made me laugh out loud was the single wooden chopstick left on the coffee table -- Lester had colored it and decorated it with markers to look like Harry Potter's wand.

_**TBC…**_


	29. Chapter 29

_Disclaimer: Max and Yoshi belong to me; all other characters created by Janet Evanovich, and are used without permission just for fun._

_**Chapter 29**_

I started the coffeepot and found my cell to call Lester. He answered on the third ring. He didn't sound groggy, exactly, but I think I woke him up.

"Lester, this is Stephanie. I'm sorry if I woke you - I just wanted to say thanks for dinner and the movie last night, and for being so nice when I fell asleep on you."

"No problem, I enjoyed myself, too." He moved and I heard the rustle of sheets, further proof I'd called too early. I heard a faint groan. "I'm glad you called, I forgot to turn my alarm on. I gotta go, Beautiful, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Have a good day!"

After we hung up I had a cup of coffee, and then got ready for the day. I was showered and pondering what to wear when my phone rang. It was Tank.

"Hey, Steph, what's on your agenda for today?" he asked cheerfully. He almost sounded like he was laughing and I wondered what was going on.

"Not much today since its Sunday and all my skips are caught. Tomorrow I'll be going to the office to turn in a receipt and see if there are any more files but that's about it. Why? What's up?"

"I just heard Lester gave you a self-defense pop-quiz yesterday." He really was laughing now. "Cal says you passed with _flying_ colors!"

I felt myself flushing again even though he couldn't see me. "It was an accident! He scared the crap out of me and I didn't know it was him!"

"Well, accident or not, it was a good move. But I ought to warn you, the guys are taking it as a challenge now. You might want to be on guard for surprise 'attacks' for a while."

"Oh, great, that's all I need," I moaned, but then I ruined it by laughing. "Just don't hold me responsible for injuries!"

"Not a problem. Take care," he reminded before he hung up.

Well, I thought as I dressed, Ranger was always telling me I needed to be more aware of my surroundings…. Maybe this was the guys' way of giving me lessons.

The day turned out to be very quiet. I went to see my parents and Grandma for brunch, then headed home. I called and talked to Mary Lou for a half an hour while her kids were out with Lenny, catching her up on my life and getting the latest 'Burg gossip. Rumor had it that Joe had traded the nurse he'd been dating for a lady doctor that was new in town, and everyone was wondering how that could possibly work out - her work would be as demanding as his, and just as unpredictable. I thought about how many times Joe had tried to talk me into being a stay-at-home wife and wondered about them myself. I guess we'd have to wait and see -- if it was really love they'd find a way to make it work.

Cal called after his shift, and I gave him a hard time about tattling on me. He sputtered about it, and then laughed. It wasn't his fault, he insisted. Lester had actually brought it up first, telling Tank about it in the control room because he'd been impressed by my reaction. _He_ had only confirmed the story.

I let him off the hook then. He asked about my day and said it had been slow at the office, too. I reminded him I still owed him pizza -- well, both him and Lester actually since Lester had paid for the Chinese -- and he said his next day off was the following Friday.

The day was dragging… I paid a few bills and actually balanced my checkbook, did a little cleaning and a load of laundry, and finally sat down with the laptop and opened the Spanish tutor program again. It engrossed me now that I could understand the basics, and each lesson brought new words, tenses, and phrases. When my stomach growled I fixed a sandwich and chips and ate while I listened and read. Time got away from me, though. I stayed up late into the night and as a result Monday morning started without me.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

It was nearly eleven-thirty when I woke up and I groaned when I saw the clock. I hauled myself out of bed and got dressed quickly, just pulling my hair into a ponytail. Long curly hair was a pain in the ass and for a microsecond I thought about just getting it cut short. But then I remembered what I'd looked like with short hair after the egg incident and sighed. Ponytails weren't that bad.

I was nearly to my Jeep when my phone rang, and I answered it with my mouth full of granola bar.

"Steph?" It was Hal.

I swallowed and tried again. "I'm here. Sorry, Hal, you caught me eating."

"Ah. I just wanted to call and give you a quick heads-up." He was talking quietly, not quite whispering but not normal volume either. What was going on? "Hector's on monitors this morning, and he told Tank he wants to come see you when he gets off shift this afternoon. We don't know why, but he seems determined. I just thought you should know…"

Hal trailed off a little uncomfortably. He had been there when I first met Hector, the ex-gang member with a teardrop 'kill' tattoo, and knew I'd been a little afraid of him. With Lester's 'pop-quiz' story making the rounds I'm sure they didn't know what to think. I had a feeling Hector had something else in mind, though

I was never sure why Hal was so nice to me even after I tricked him and stunned him and got him into trouble with Ranger. He was a nice guy and I felt like I kind of owed him. "Thanks for letting me know, Hal, but its okay. I'm pretty sure Hector isn't planning a pop-quiz for me. Can you keep a secret?"

"Uh…sure."

I grinned, understanding Hal's reluctance to answer before knowing the secret. "I'm trying to learn Spanish. I got a computer teaching program and everything. I attempted a little at RangeMan the other day when I ran into Hector in the elevator, and you should have seen him smile! I think he probably wants to help me. You're the only person besides Hector and my dad that knows I'm working on this, Hal, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Oh!" He sounded immensely relieved, but he was still talking quietly. "Well that makes more sense now. You don't want anyone else to know? Do you want to surprise Ranger or something?"

"Maybe a little," I chuckled. "Its more I didn't want to say anything in case I fail miserably."

"You won't fail," he was quick to reassure me. "I don't know much Spanish myself, but if you ever want to learn German I'm your guy."

"Thank you, I'll remember that! So, you won't say anything?"

"Your secret's safe with me."

"_Danke_!" It was the only word, other than 'no', that I knew in German. I heard Hal's soft laugh and then he hung up.

So Hector was planning to visit… I thought about calling him but I didn't know his cell number, and I wasn't sure I could understand him over a phone yet. Well, I had errands to run anyway. I had a RangeMan tracker, so Hector could just find me when he was ready. I climbed into my Jeep and headed for the office, finishing my granola bar on the way.

I said hello to the girls, found out Connie had no new files, and traded my body receipt for a check. The bank was next to deposit the check. It was nice to see my balance steadily climbing after the years I barely got by!

A little after one I pulled back into my lot and found Hector parked at the back in a beautifully-restored El Camino. I parked in my usual space and hopped out of the Jeep. Hector had gotten out and was leaning against his car, waiting. I'm pretty sure he knew his teardrop tattoo had made me really nervous to be around him at first, but I wasn't afraid of him anymore. I gave him a warm smile - after all, he was here voluntarily!

"Wow, Hector, _coche hermoso!" (beautiful car!)_

I got a surprised smile in return -- I guess he hadn't been sure of his welcome.

_"__¿Usted hizo todo el trabajo? (Did you do all the work?)_ I asked carefully.

_"Si!"_ This time his smile was wide and friendly. "_Su español está consiguiendo mucho mejor." (Your Spanish is getting much better.)_

_Yes! _ I actually understood what he said! We stood there grinning like idiots at each other for a full minute before I started laughing, and he joined in. I walked all the way around his car to admire it up close. Then with a combination of the Spanish words I knew mixed with the English for the ones I didn't plus a little sign-language, I invited Hector up to my apartment and asked if he'd had lunch.

He'd already eaten, but gestured for me to go ahead. He wanted to see my teaching program. So he sat at the table with me, and while I ate he played with the computer.

Hector ended up spending all afternoon with me. Right after lunch he confirmed my guess that he was there to offer his help with Spanish -- and ask if I'd help with his English. He could understand a lot but he had trouble with pronunciation. As he put it, "I help you; you help me." It sounded very good to me, and it would make me feel a little better if I could repay him a little for his help.

We went through the apartment like little kids. He'd point at something and I'd try to remember - and pronounce - the right Spanish words. He'd say the English if he knew it, or gesture for me to say it and he'd try to repeat it. We laughed several times at each other and even more at ourselves, but it was kind of fun and I learned a lot. He taught me a few slang names for some things - kind of like a toilet can be called a john or a potty. Around five o'clock he said he had a date tonight and needed to leave, but he agreed to visit and help me again soon.

Shortly after Hector left it occurred to me that Ranger had been gone one week today. I crossed my fingers and hoped this 'trip' would be a short one. I didn't want to be alone, though, so I called Lula and we went out to eat dinner. Afterwards Tank, Hal, and Bobby met up with us at a club.

I found a moment while dancing with Hal to let him know I'd been right about Hector's visit, and thank him again for calling to warn me. He was glad to hear it had gone pretty well, and laughed about the slang I'd learned.

Later, while Hal was in the restroom and Bobby was dancing with Lula, Tank spoke to me.

"You seem to be doing pretty good," he started, giving me an assessing look. "Hanging in there?"

"Pretty well so far, I think. I miss him, but I'm trying to stay busy. The guys' being around to keep me company has helped a lot, and so far it has been kind of nice to get to know them a little better."

"I heard Hector intended to visit you this afternoon." Tank left the sentence hanging, and I knew he was curious.

"He did," I confirmed. "I got to see his El Camino, and then we mostly just tried to talk to each other."

"Hector doesn't speak much English."

"I know," I said with a grin. "We did a lot of pointing and charades, but it was fun. I guess he had a date tonight, though, and I called Lula for some company. Today was one week."

I didn't have to explain my last comment, Tank understood it very well.

"Sometimes," he began slowly, as if he was still choosing his words, "Sometimes, on some missions, Ranger is able to set up check-ins at intervals to let us know he's okay and things are going as planned, and it gets relayed to me. Just before we left the building tonight I got a message from DC that he made his first check-in this afternoon. So -- so far so good."

The sudden rush of relief brought tears to my eyes and I had to blink quickly to keep them from falling. It took a minute before I could speak.

"Oh, that's so good to know! So far so good. -- thanks for telling me, Tank."

"I thought it might help. I don't know any details, and I don't know the check-in times or intervals, but I will try to keep you informed when I hear."

He'd slipped into more formal speech, and I had a hunch it might be because he was relieved to hear, too. I wasn't the only one that worried about Ranger when he was gone. I reached across and squeezed his hand in thanks, and he squeezed back gently.

Lula broke the somber silence when she bounced back to the table towing Bobby. "Hey, white girl, don' be holding my man's hand!" she blustered with a grin. "I catch you makin' moves on him and I'll have to kick your ass!"

I laughed and held my hands up. "Sorry, I forgot myself! Tank's just so _cute_…"

Lula laughed, Bobby snorted, and I'm pretty sure Tank blushed even as he laughed. Bobby turned to me and pretended to get huffy. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

Eyeing him with mock-sincerity I thought about it. "No… you're kind of cute, too," I said off-handedly, waving my hand around and trying to sound like a bored rich girl. "…if you're _into_ that chiseled-masculinity look, of course."

Lula spit her drink across the table and it was Bobby's turn to blush. I saw Hal coming back to the table and escaped to ask him to dance.

We had a lot of fun but none of us wanted to be out too late. I drove home, waved at the black SUV that had escorted me, and went upstairs to bed.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

The next four weeks went by in much the same way. I got phone calls two or three times a day checking in if I was alone, and at least every other day I got a visit from one of the guys. Sometimes they were around a couple of hours, and sometimes they stayed most of the day. I learned something more about each one of them with every visit, and passed a bunch more 'pop-quizzes', even though none were as spectacular as Lester's throw. Even though they startled me, it was kind of a kick. Usually whoever had pounced on me would give me a joking rating and maybe some pointers on making my reaction more effective.

Hector and I both made good progress with our language lessons. I could mostly hold a conversation in Spanish now with only the occasional prompt, and he'd gotten much more comfortable with English. He taught me some street-fighting moves and enough gutter-slang to embarrass my mother to death if she ever found out.

Max, the Native American 'new guy' that now lived in apartment six on the fourth floor, taught me how to throw knives one slow and cold afternoon. He drove us out to an area of empty lots and set up some archery-style targets. I got good enough to hit the target most of the time, if not the bull's-eye. Max was one scary Indian with a blade.

Bobby took me to the firing range and had me practice with my gun. By the time we finished he was giving me squinty-eyed looks.

"What?" I finally asked.

"All this time, I thought you didn't want to carry your gun because you were a bad shot. Now I get it."

"Get what?"

"You're a natural."

I shifted under his gaze, uneasy with the subject. It didn't stop him.

"You've only had to shoot someone twice, and both times were kill shots. It scared you, didn't it, how easily it came to you."

_'Scared'_ was putting it mildly. _Terrified_ and _completely freaked out_ came closer.

He took me to Shorty's. We sat in the back booth and he bought me drinks until I was drunk enough to talk, and then we talked for hours. I felt better about my gun afterwards -- I guess I hadn't understood it myself before. He still made me practice with him again, but the fear had faded and it wasn't so bad.

Hal taught me some German. _Yes, no, please, thank you, stop_, and some funny and maybe useful command phrases - like _sit down and shut up_. He had two brothers that trained German Shepherd guard dogs, and a sister that was a nurse.

Lester, Bobby, and even Tank visited my parents' house with me at some point. Grandma Mazur was fascinated with all of them, especially Tank. I had to remind her that Lula had first-dibs on him.

Then yesterday evening Tank came to my door with disturbing news. Ranger had missed his check-in.

_**TBC…**_


	30. Chapter 30

_**Disclaimer: Characters (except Max and Yoshi) belong to Janet Evanovich and are used without permission. **_

_A/N: LOL, looking back I realized that when I started this I just meant to write a short fluff piece for Valentine's Day. I never dreamed it would go this far! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, you've given me incentive to keep it going -- and at this rate I might get it finished by NEXT Valentine's Day! Not to worry, I don't kill off anyone but bad guys. (That's not to say I'm against a little angst!)_

_-oOo-oOo-oOo_

_**Chapter 30**_

I stood in my living room with Tank hovering as if he thought I might faint. I'm pretty sure he was talking to me but I couldn't hear for the buzzing in my head. _Breathe, you need to breathe…_ Oh, yeah. I made myself take a slow deep breath and let it out, then another. Gradually the buzzing stopped and the spots faded from my vision. I could hear Tank's voice again.

"Steph, say something. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," I said. I seemed to be saying that a lot lately even when - like now - it wasn't entirely true. "I'll be okay, sorry. I spaced for a minute, though, so could you repeat everything after Ranger missed his check-in?" I was trying really hard to sound calm.

Tank's grin flashed, startling white against his dark skin. "Sure. I said, missing one check-in is not uncommon, and doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. Sometimes the arranged check-in is just a couple of clicks of the microphone at a pre-arranged time, and a wet radio or loose battery can make you miss it. Try not to worry too much until we hear otherwise."

I nodded. That sounded reasonable and made perfect sense. But there were two voices in the back of my head; one was screaming _No, Ranger can't be missing! Can't be hurt! He has to come back!_ And the other was rational and calm - _Ranger will never give up or give in. If it's at all humanly possible he'll come home. How would it look to him if I freaked?_

"Do you want me to stay with you? Call someone else to stay with you?" Tank was asking.

"No," I said, trying to smile. "I'll be fine. Just please let me know as soon as you hear anything else."

"I will."

I stood unmoving until the count of ten after Tank left. As soon as I unlocked my knees my legs gave away, and I landed on the floor in a pile with frightened tears leaking down my cheeks. _Ricardo Carlos Manoso, you'd __**damned**__ well better not give up on me now!_

I got the tears stopped, but I was still shaking. _Ranger will be okay; Ranger will be okay_ became my new mantra. Thinking it in my head helped, but not enough. I tried saying it out loud and taking a slow breath in between. "Ranger will be okay." Slow deep breath, let it out slowly… "Ranger will be okay." It helped. I would get through this.

It was the longest night I've ever spent. Worse, even, than when Ranger had been shot by Scrog. At least then we'd known a few hours into surgery that he would recover. I hated uncertainty.

I dragged myself off the floor and onto the sofa, looking at the clock. It was only eight o'clock and a lot of hours of darkness stretched before me. I couldn't just sit here.

I needed comfort, and that meant food. I made an entire pot of hot chocolate, popped popcorn, and raided the stash of candy bars, arranging it all on the coffee table. Ghostbusters went in the DVD player. I watched it twice in a row, feeding my face the whole time, but by midnight I was jumping out of my skin and felt sick to my stomach. Time to try something else.

What would my mother do?

My eyes went to the cabinet over the sink where my whiskey and other hard liquor was stored.

NO!

I would not become my mother. Ranger would hate it - and so would I.

That left my mother's other option.

I pulled my shoes back on and gathered my purse, car keys, and phone. I grabbed my jacket on the way out the door and put it on in the elevator on the way down to the lobby, crossing the chilly parking lot to my Jeep quickly.

The street in front of the church was deserted, but the lights were on and the door was unlocked. I slipped in quietly. Although it was late, there was an old woman dressed much like Morelli's Grandma Bella sitting in a pew halfway up the aisle.

I went through the familiar motions with far more seriousness than I ever had before. If my genuflect was a little rusty I felt fairly certain God would understand. The ritual was comforting as I lighted candles. After a bit I took a seat in one of the pews, needing the feeling of peace here. Praying.

Some time later I looked up and found Morelli standing next to the pew.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. He looked tired and rumpled and was overdue for a shave. From the badge clipped on his belt I assumed he'd been working - and why else would he be out this late at night?

I slid over to make room and he sat down next to me.

"What are you doing out so late?" I asked him.

"Unattended death," he answered quietly. "I was driving by and saw your Jeep. What's going on?"

"I'm doing some begging." I tried to smile, but then I had to look away from the concern in his dark-chocolate eyes. I looked at my hands clasped in my lap. "You know I told you Ranger was out of town? He's on a job somewhere for the government, and today he missed his check-in." I didn't have to explain what that meant - Joe was ex-military, and had gone undercover with the Trenton PD. He understood. He put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed me gently. I took a deep breath, repeated my mantra in my head, and continued, "I figured if He could keep me in one piece after all my close calls, keeping Ranger safe would be a snap."

Joe smiled and chuckled softly. "That's for sure. Manoso's a tough guy and knows what he's doing. And as hard as it is for me to admit, he would never willingly leave you."

This time it was easier to smile. "Thanks, Joe."

"Want me to stay with you for a while?"

"No, that's okay, I'm fine. You go on, you look exhausted."

"And I've got paperwork to finish before I can go home, too," he sighed. He leaned over and pressed a brief kiss to my temple. "You can call me if you need anything, Cupcake. If there's anything I can do to help…"

I had to blink hard. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me. Now, go on and take care of your paperwork so you can get some sleep. I'll be fine."

Joe left as quietly as he'd arrived. I stayed a few more minutes and then I left, too.

The Jeep started easily and I let it run, adjusting the heater vents and pressing my cold fingers between my thighs to warm them. I didn't want to go home. My parents - well, pretty much everyone I knew would be asleep. I didn't want to be alone, but I only really wanted Ranger. To feel close to him… I put the Jeep in gear and wound my way through the nearly silent streets to Haywood, turning into the gated garage and parking in an empty slot. The Turbo, the F-150, the Cayenne, and the Mercedes were all there in Ranger's slots, so he either had Tank drive him or he'd taken one of the Broncos. I didn't even know if he'd left from the airport or if he'd gone to the Army base.

I gave a brief wave to the camera as I got into the elevator. Someone would be awake on the fifth floor manning the monitors. But I didn't want to stop to say hello.

Ranger's apartment was dark and quiet. I let the door shut softly behind me and just stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths. Something inside me began to relax. Here was safe.

My feet were silent on the carpet as I walked slowly through the living room, dropping my jacket and purse on the sofa, not bothering with lights. I paused in the bedroom doorway and took another deep breath, catching a lingering trace of Ranger's Bulgari.

Ella had been up. In the faint moonlight slatted through the blinds I could see the bed was neatly made, and the scattered clothes had been picked up. I continued into the bathroom and found my makeup tucked neatly into the bag, but the bag was left sitting open and ready on the counter. My shampoo and conditioner sat on the shelf in the shower next to Ranger's shower gel.

I kicked off my shoes and stripped. I tied my hair up with one of Ranger's hair-ties and turned on the shower. With only the light of the small nightlight and the smell of Bulgari surrounding me it was easy to let myself drift. I stroked rich Burgari lather over my skin and closed my eyes. My hands became his, touching, teasing, stroking. I relived every beautiful moment of the days we'd been together, right up to the point I fell asleep in his arms, until at last my body found release and the shower washed away my tears.

The room was growing lighter as I slipped a black t-shirt over my head. I closed the blinds and slipped beneath the soft sheets. Warm and comforted, with the scent of Bulgari surrounding me and Ranger's pillow hugged to me, I finally slept.

_**TBC…**_


	31. Chapter 31

_A/N: I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Years! Ours was the usual chaos but we managed to enjoy ourselves, although several members of my family are now battling some sort of stomach flu… I'm hoping to post chapters a little more often for a while! Keep your fingers crossed!_

_**Disclaimer: All characters except Max and Yoshi are property of Janet Evanovich and are used without permission. It's just for fun and they'll be returned undamaged, I promise!**_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 31**_

A soft beeping woke me from the best sleep I'd had in a month. It took me a while to wake up enough to figure out where I was, and where the sound was coming from. The intercom on the phone next to the bed was beeping.

I pushed up on my elbows and stared at it. It was Ranger's phone, should I answer it? Well, duh, whoever was in the control room last night knew I was up here and it was an inside-only line.

I pushed the button that was blinking. "Hello?" Great, my voice sounded terrible!

There was a small pause. "Stephanie? Oh, dear, I woke you didn't I?" It was Ella. "I'm sorry to bother you but the boys were getting a little worried about you and asked me to make sure you were okay."

I turned the clock around and was dismayed to see it was nearly two in the afternoon. I must have slept at least eight solid hours.

"I'm okay, Ella," I began then had to stop and clear my throat. "I was just really tired I guess, I didn't intend to sleep this late. Please tell the guys I'm okay. I'll come down and say hi when I'm dressed."

"Okay. Would you like some breakfast? Or skip it and have something for lunch?"

"You don't have to--"

"I'm offering; it's no problem. What would you like to eat?"

I smiled. I loved Ella's cooking. "Could I have your pancakes?"

"Of course!" Ella sounded flattered. "I've got a new recipe for a nutty flavored pancake that I'd like for you to try. It has flax seed and pecans in it, with maple syrup for the top. Or would you rather have the blueberry or chocolate chip?"

They all had my mouth watering… "I'd like to try the new ones, they sound really good."

"Flax and pecan it is. It will be about a half an hour before they're ready, and I'll bring them up. Is that enough time for you?"

"Perfect." I only planned to brush my teeth and hair and put a little makeup on.

When Ella hung up the intercom I flopped over and gave Ranger's pillow another hug, repeating my new mantra a few times in my head. Here, surrounded by his scent and good memories, it was a little easier to think positively. Or maybe the shock had just worn off. Either way I felt much better today.

I rolled out of bed and pulled the bedding into some semblance of order, then headed for the bathroom. I took care of morning necessities, brushed my hair and tamed it back into a ponytail, then put on the bare minimum of makeup. I went to get a clean set of underwear from 'my' drawer in Ranger's closet and found the clothes that had been in the duffle bag from our trip had been washed and put away neatly in the closet. Seeing my clothes hanging next to Ranger's gave me a funny feeling. Hopeful, but just a little bit worried that I was reading too much into our weekend together.

Ella was in the kitchen by the time I finished dressing, setting a place for me at the bar. Coffee was dripping in the pot and as I walked in she sat a small glass of orange juice and a glass of milk out, and then took the plate of pancakes out of the microwave where they'd been keeping warm.

The looked a little odd, more like something Ranger ate - you know, healthy - but they smelled wonderful. Chopped pecans and drizzled maple syrup decorated the stack of three big pancakes. I took the first bite even before I settled into the chair. Ella's face broke into a smile at my moan of delight.

"Oh, I hoped you'd like them!" she said.

"They're wonderful, Ella," I said, cutting another bite. "They look like something Ranger would eat. Are they healthy?"

She chuckled. "Actually, they are. They're about halfway between your food preferences and his. I thought they might be a good compromise for when you ate breakfast together."

My enjoyment faltered for a moment but I shook off the thread of uncertainty and turned my attention back to Ella. "You're right. I imagine Ranger will skip the syrup and have fruit, though."

Ella laughed again and poured a cup of coffee for me. Suddenly I wanted her to stay.

"Do you have time to stay and have coffee with me while I eat?" I asked.

"I've had too much coffee already, but I'll have some juice and keep you company. I think food tastes better when you have company, don't you?"

I smiled around a mouthful of heaven and nodded my agreement. Ella got some juice and perched on the other stool and we chatted. I ate every bite of my pancakes.

I rode down in the elevator with Ella when she left with my dishes, bidding me good day when she got off on six. I continued to the fifth floor and headed to the offices to find Tank or one of the other guys. Hector called out to me from the monitors.

"_Hola, hermana_," he grinned.

_"Hola, hermano_," I returned. _"Que pasa?"_

"Not much," he said carefully. "Slow day."

"Is Tank here?"

"He is in the boss office."

"_Boss's_ office," I corrected absently_. "T__enga un buen día, Hector."_

Hal, who was also on monitors and the only other man in earshot, grinned at me. "I have no idea what you said, but it sounds like your lessons are paying off. See, I knew you could do it!"

"Your encouragement helped," I told him with a smile, and continued toward Ranger's office.

Tank was at the desk, frowning at the computer. From the look on his face, if he'd had hair he'd have been pulling it. I tapped on the doorframe and he looked up.

"Come on in, Steph." He gave me a hard look and then smiled slightly. "You look like you had a good sleep."

"Yeah. I guess I hadn't been sleeping very well, and last night it all caught up with me. But I feel much better today." I hesitated, then asked, "What were you frowning at when I came in?"

Tank glanced back and the computer and frowned again. "Bureaucratic bullshit." He gave a faint sigh and motioned for me to sit down. "We've got a friend in the DC office that sometimes slips us extra information if he thinks it's important. From what he just sent, the mission objective has been accomplished - it was confirmed very early this morning - which it makes it a lot more likely that the missed check-in was an equipment malfunction. The brass doesn't think we need to know that yet. They're waiting to see if he makes the check-point for extraction."

I got a little tingle down my spine as Tank explained. I wasn't too surprised DC was withholding information but I didn't understand his anger…until I got the idea that if for some reason Ranger didn't get to the check-point at the arranged time, they could leave him behind and claim he'd just failed to complete the mission. It would save them the trouble of sending someone in to find him.

"…I don't think any of them would be that stupid, though," Tank was saying as he watched my face. "Ranger has done a lot of shit for the brass over the years. They should know him well enough by now to know he would find a way back - and then he'd get even."

I had to smile a little at Tank's statement. I could only imagine the amount of havoc Ranger could wreak in DC if he was really angry. It was a little daunting.

"Do you have any idea when he should be extracted?" I asked.

"Not yet, and there's no way to guess. It could be today, or it could be next week. Depends on how hot a spot they've dropped him into."

For some reason I thought about the movie _Sahara_. One of the guys in it had had to get over the border into the neighboring country before he could call for help. I imagined the same might be true of secret missions and pick-up points. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I nodded to Tank. "Okay, I understand that." I smiled, determined not to dwell on what we didn't know. "I really appreciate you keeping me informed about all this, Tank. It means a lot to me that you're honest with me."

He made a sound like a snort. "I've seen you in action. You're a hell of a lot tougher than most people give you credit for." He paused and gave me a serious look. "That doesn't mean you have to face everything alone, though. That's what friends are for."

And I had some of the best.

_TBC…_


	32. Chapter 32

_**Disclaimer: All characters except Max and Yoshi are the property of JE and are borrowed without permission. **_

_A/N: I couldn't remember if Hector or Woody's last names were ever mentioned in the books and I was too lazy to research it, so I just kept everything to a first-name basis! Also, I can't remember if Woody has ever met Grandma but I'm pretty sure Hector hasn't! Hang in there, we're getting close!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 32**_

Although I was a half a day behind my normal schedule, I went by the office to check in with Connie and say hi to Lula. From Lula's cheery mood I'd guess Tank hadn't told her about Ranger's missed check in - she'd have been trying to mother me again if he had. I preferred it this way because I was honestly getting tired of everyone watching me like I was going to break. I really could get through this. There was no doubt in my mind that Ranger would come home…but I didn't want to dwell on it. I was glad to find Connie had a new file for me. It gave me something else to think about.

The file was for a Peabody Schmidt, age 72, who'd been arrested for public nudity and resisting arrest. Sheesh! I rolled my eyes and shook my head, trying not to laugh. I swear, before I started this job I thought all old people sat around knitting or lying to each other about past exploits. Was the insanity age-related? Grandma was half nuts even with my mother watching her - did I have this to look forward to with my mother, too? I tried to picture my mother streaking or stealing a car, and found it just didn't seem possible. Mom was just too straight-laced.

But now that I thought about Grandma…Didn't she say something about a man named Peabody that she'd recently met? I checked the time and decided to visit before Mom started dinner, then remembered what day it was and drove by the hair salon first. Sure enough, Mom's car was there. As soon as I walked in I spotted Grandma under a dryer. Mom was sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting area, flipping through a hairstyle magazine.

"Hi, Mom," I smiled and greeted as I sat down next to her.

She looked up with a start. "Stephanie? What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way home to see you and remembered it was salon day. Are you looking for a new hairstyle?"

"No," she sighed, tossing the magazine onto the table. "I was just waiting for Mother."

"Why don't you get your nails done? Missy does a nice job."

"There's no reason for it. I never go anywhere for anyone to see, anyway."

I narrowed my eyes and really looked at my mother - not as a daughter, but as just another woman. She looked a little younger than her age, but somehow tired. How long had it been since she had a day to herself? A little pampering and maybe an evening out? Hmm, maybe I'd have a quiet word with Dad and we could think of something. I think it would give Mom a much-needed break. And Christmas wasn't that far away…

The back of my mind was busy making plans, but if I didn't start talking Mom was going to wonder about me. "This morning I was tempted to get my hair all cut off. Some days it's just another problem to handle first thing in the morning, you know? But if I cut it, it would probably stick up even more."

Mom laughed softly. "You had a pixie cut one year when you were little, do you remember? I could never get it to lay down right. You were so mad it didn't look like Mary Lou's, and you swore then you'd never have short hair again."

I'd forgotten all about that, but now I remembered and laughed. Mary Lou's mom had taken her to get her hair cut short for the summer, and I'd begged to get the same haircut. But what was so cute on Mary Lou looked like Don King's hair on me. I had hated it.

"Oh, jez, I remember that! It was awful."

I looked at Mom's hair. It was curly, but maybe not quite as curly as mine, and she'd worn it in the same style ever since I could remember.

"Mom, did you ever wear your hair long?"

"Not since I was little. I had pigtails most of my childhood, and I hated getting my hair brushed. As soon as I was old enough I got it cut short. When I was dating it was the style, and I just could never bring myself to let it get very long again."

I picked up another style magazine and was flipping though it, and stopped on a likely-looking style. I showed it to Mom. "What do you think of this one?"

"It's pretty, but my hair is too curly. It would stick out weird over my ears." She took the magazine from me and turned to a page closer to the back. "I like this one. It's shorter in the back but I don't know - I think I'd like it."

I held the page up and eyed her hair. She was right, it would probably look pretty good. "So why don't you try it?"

She just shrugged, and looked over at Grandma. "It's easier not to change."

Yep, Mom definitely needed some time off to recharge. I made a mental note of the page number and magazine, then told her I'd see her later and left.

I drove around for a while, just thinking. Mom was usually happy being a 'Burg wife, but more and more I was realizing I would never be. I liked trying new things, new clothes, even new hairstyles. I was in love with a very non-traditional man, with a non-traditional career. More and more I was glad Joe had realized things would never work out between us. We were good friends now and that was for the best.

I headed for my parents' house, hoping to catch my dad at home. He was puttering in the garage, dusting the interior of Big Blue.

"Hey, Dad? Can I talk to you for just a minute?"

He sat on a stool by the workbench and I perched on Big Blue's bumper, then he asked what was wrong.

I told him about seeing Mom at the salon, and my feeling that she needed a break. He listened thoughtfully, and after a few minutes he agreed with me. "It's been hard to do anything much since Edna moved in," he explained. "We used to go out to eat and see a movie once in a while, but… I'm not sure what happened. We just stopped."

We cooked up a plan. I wanted to give Mom a salon day, and a free evening so she and Dad could go out. Christmas was just over a month from now, and their anniversary wasn't for another few months but I didn't want to wait for either of those. It would be more of a surprise now. Dad agreed -- he seemed to really like the idea.

He made a quick trip inside and brought out a brochure Grandma had brought home from one of her friends. It was for a five-day bus "mystery tour" trip - for a certain price, a group would go on an all-expense paid trip to an undisclosed location.

"I guess one of her friends is going, and she seemed interested," Dad was saying. "It would be fun for her and get her out of the house for a few of days at least."

I thought it was great, and the tickets were surprisingly reasonable. And with my recently-plump bank account, I could buy her ticket and a salon day for Mom, too.

Time was running out for our plotting session, though, so Dad put the brochure back. I'd come back for dinner and see if Grandma showed it to me. If she didn't, I'd 'accidentally' find it lying around, and we'd go from there.

Now I needed advice from someone who knew salons and day-spas… Connie. I headed straight back to the office and told Connie and Lula my plan.

"That's a sweet thing to do for yo' mamma," Lula said. "Much as I like your granny, it'd give me gray hair to be around her twenty-four/seven. In fact…I've been saving a little money since me an' Tank been seein' each other. I'd like to put a little in on Granny's ticket, my Christmas present to her."

I grinned at Lula. She was such a softie sometimes. "Thanks, Lula. I've got enough to cover it, so if you'd rather give her something else…" I trailed off, thinking. "She'll want to get her hair done before she goes. And those disposable cameras would be good, too."

Lula lit up. "Oh, yeah! Those new ones you drop in the mail, and they send you the pictures and a picture CD. Yeah, I'd like that. You _know_ your granny will get some interesting pictures!"

We all laughed even if I cringed a little. Well, at least Mom would have had a break before having to deal with Grandma's pictures.

Connie handed me a business card from a day-spa called Guys & Dolls. "Ask for June, and tell her Connie sent you. She'll take good care of your mom."

I thanked the girls and barreled out of the office and nearly collided with Hector and Woody. Seeing the two of them together was a little strange but I had to smile at the contrast between the two men. Hector was probably the smallest of all Ranger's men. Only about 5' 9" tall, he was slender, Hispanic, and had gang tattoos. Woody was a tall, sandy-haired Texas-boy-next-door type, so the differences made the two of them together quite a sight. I hadn't seen Woody for a while, since the day I'd helped in the control room.

"Hi, guys! It's been a while, Woody, where have you been keeping yourself?"

Woody snagged me for a quick hug. "I was on nights last month, and then I took a couple of weeks off. My dad broke his leg so I went back to help out until he was able to get around a little and got used the crutches. I just got back."

"Ouch. He'll be okay though?" I asked

"Yeah, it was just a 'green' fracture - he was pretty lucky. He was mostly just madder than hell that he'd let a horse kick him."

"Woody's father is _vaquero_," Hector told me with a grin.

That was a new word for me. I looked at Woody hoping for a translation.

"Cowboy," he said with a grin. "Hector seems to get a kick out of the idea. I'm gonna have to take him to visit and put him to work on the ranch for a few days so he can see what it's _really_ like."

I laughed, and Hector just grinned. I think he liked the idea.

"Where are you headed? We came to see if you'd like to go eat dinner with us - Mexican food." Woody said.

I thought about it for a moment. Mom wasn't actually expecting me for dinner, so I could just go by and see them and still go out with the guys… I had another thought.

"Guys, do you both know Connie and Lula?"

"I know who they are," Woody said, "but we've never been introduced."

Hector just shook his head.

"Come on. I'll introduce you." I grabbed Hector's hand and headed back inside.

Connie and Lula both were watching the door with interested faces. I should have known they'd have seen us talking on the sidewalk. "Hi, again. Connie, Lula, I'd like you to meet two of the guys from RangeMan. This is Hector, and this is Woody. Guys, this is Connie. She runs the bonds office for Vinnie."

Connie came around her desk and offered her hand to Hector first. I was a little surprised but Hector gave her a big smile and shook her hand. "I am pleased to meet you," he said clearly.

"Thank you, Hector. I hear Stephanie talk about a lot of you from RangeMan, so it's good to finally meet some of the men who go with the names."

Not to be outdone, Lula came over and stuck her hand out, too. "Yo, Hector, how you doin'?"

Hector's eyes widened a little at the sight of the large woman in small spandex. "I'm good, Lula. How are you?"

Their handshake turned into one of those complicated ones and they both grinned.

Woody stepped forward with that little head nod that was like a Texas bow, and shook Connie's offered hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Connie."

"I've seen you around with Ranger," she said as she smiled up at the blonde man. "It's nice to meet you finally."

Woody smiled and I could see Connie melting. She was such a sucker for a good-looking man… maybe it wasn't such a good idea to start introducing her to the Merry Men!

Woody turned his smile on Lula next. "I've heard the guys teasing Tank about you. Sounds like you're good for him. I'm glad to meet you, Lula," he said, and Lula's cheeks turned a little pink.

They were making small talk but I zoned out, trying to juggle things in my head. I wanted to get the ball rolling on my plans for my mother, but I also wanted to go out with Woody and Hector. Was it possible to do both? I eyed the clock on the office wall. There was still more than an hour before dinner; I could just go talk to Mom and Grandma for a little bit…

I turned and found all four of them looking at me. Woody was grinning.

"Y'all smell somethin' burning?" he teased.

"Hey," I protested with a laugh. "I was just trying to decide if I had time to go see my Mom."

"We don't have a set time," Hector offered helpfully.

I smiled at him. "No, but my Mom does!" I gave a little eye roll. "If I interrupt her and make dinner late I'll be in big trouble! I'll go see her later."

We said good-bye to Connie and Lula and headed back outside. I offered to follow the guys since they were in Hector's El Camino, but they wanted me to ride with them. I ended up in the middle of the bench seat between them. It wasn't bad, actually. The seat was pushed back to give them leg room so I had plenty of space, and neither one of them was too bulky. They were freshly showered and smelled good, however, and I couldn't resist teasing them a little, leaning toward Woody and sniffing loudly, then sniffing Hector.

"You both sure smell good. Are you sure you want me cramping your style tonight?" Hector looked a little confused at my question and Woody explained in Spanish too fast for me to follow.

Hector laughed then and poked me with his elbow. "It's okay. We use you for bait, to maybe catch nice girl."

"Bait? You guys don't need bait, you're both good looking."

"Well, we can get girls, yeah," Woody agreed. "What Hector means is that maybe with you with us we'll be able to talk to the nicer girls that usually avoid us."

"Oh." That made sense… But then I remembered something Ranger had told me. "Wait a minute! Someone told me Hector was gay! He's not?"

"_Si_, I am," Hector said cheerfully.

Ok, I was confused. It was probably clear on my face because both guys were chuckling again.

"Hector _is_ gay," Woody tried to clarify, "but he likes to dance with girls, and tonight he wants to go dancing."

I looked at Hector. "You don't like to dance with guys? Or just don't want to dance with a guy tonight?"

"I want to dance with a woman tonight." He gave me a speculative look, and then grinned. "But maybe you make good lure for man, too."

I rolled my eyes, and within a few minutes we were pulling into the small cramped parking lot of a Mexican restaurant.

Hector and Woody were evidently regular customers, because the waitress who seated us greeted them by name. She also spoke in Spanish. I was trying to keep up with what she was saying but she was speaking too fast. I was mostly guessing by the time she turned to me.

"_Cerveza?_" she asked me, and I gave a sigh of relief.

"_Si_."

When the waitress left, Woody turned to me. "I'm sorry, Steph, do you want us to translate for you? Or ask Anna to speak English?"

I smiled. "No, I'd like to try. But could you maybe ask her to speak a little slower? Tell her I'm just learning."

By the time Anna brought our beer I'd given the menu a quick look. She sat the bottles down and brought out her order pad, and asked something. I caught the word for 'specials' and got the general idea.

Woody spoke up, asking her to speak slowly for me because I was just learning Spanish. She looked over at me and gave me a big smile, then proceeded to recite the specials at a much slower pace. I kept up with most of it, and what few words I didn't catch I could guess the meaning.

The guys knew what they wanted, so I let them order first while I considered, then I gave my order. When I was done Anna gave me another bright smile and a cheerful "_bueno_!"

As we ate and talked, Hector and then Woody shifted to Spanish. They spoke slowly at first, and by the time we finished eating I could almost keep up with Woody's 'normal' speed. Hector was still a challenge, but he was very encouraging about my progress.

Walking back to the car, Hector asked me if I wanted to go dancing with them.

"I would, but I really need to talk to my mom. Could you drop me off at the bonds office so I can get my car?"

"_Bombardera_, I like to meet your _abuela," _Hector said with a grin.

"Seriously?" I asked, laughing. "You know she's kind of crazy, right?" I looked to Woody but he was grinning, too. "It's okay with me if you want to come. How about you, Woody?"

"Sure. I've heard lots of interesting stories, but I haven't met her in person yet."

O-kay… "I have one condition - leave any weapons in the car. My grandmother _will_ find them." They gave me odd looks but agreed. I gave Hector directions to my parents' house and we cruised over, the El Camino rolling to a smooth stop in front of the duplex. Both men stashed at least one weapon under the seat before the car doors opened. Woody helped me out of the car and then fell in behind me as I headed for the front door. I was a little surprised Mom and Grandma weren't there waiting.

I heard the clink of dishes and guessed Mom was clearing the table. "Mom!" I called out. "It's me, and I've brought friends with me."

Even with my warning, mom did a juggling impression when she saw the guys behind me. Woody's long reach snagged a falling bowl before it hit the floor.

"Sorry, ma'am. We didn't mean to startle you," Woody said in his soft drawl. My mom recovered swiftly.

"It's no problem. Stephanie's friends are always welcome."

I introduced the guys to Mom, adding that they both worked at RangeMan. Mom took it all in stride, smiling at Hector even as she looked curiously at his tattoo.

"Would you boys like some dessert? I've got Black Forest cake, and there's plenty."

Their eyes lit up and I smiled. "Give me a minute to introduce them to Dad and Grandma and I'll come help you," I told Mom, and led them into the living room.

Dad was in his recliner with the paper. Grandma was on the sofa with the remote gripped firmly in one hand and the TV guide in the other. Dad looked up and got a startled look on his face when he saw us.

"Hey, Dad, Grandma, I'd like you to meet two of my friends from RangeMan. This is Woody, and this is Hector."

Dad stood up and the guys both shook his hand.

Grandma abandoned the remote to come check out the guys. "Hello, boys. My name is Edna. So you both work with Ranger? Are you bounty hunters, too?"

"When needed," Woody said with a charming smile. "Mostly we just do security work, installing security systems and monitoring. Not very exciting."

Undeterred, Grandma launched into a series of questions. I knew that within minutes she'd get personal so I excused myself and swiftly helped Mom clear the table. She brought out the cake and dessert plates for the three of us. I herded Grandma and the guys back to the table and we sat down with our cake. Mom and Grandma had coffee and offered some to Woody and Hector, but they politely declined. They enjoyed the cake, though, and made sure to let my mother know, which made her happy. We chatted and Grandma continued to ask nosy questions until I interrupted to ask her if she knew Peabody Schmidt.

She'd met him, she said. He was friends with some of her friends, and spent most of his time at the local VFW trading war stories. She rolled her eyes and said she didn't know what Marilyn saw in him.

Mentioning Marilyn must have jogged her memory, because she finally brought out the mystery tour brochure to show me. I encouraged her to tell me about it and she did with little prompting. The departure date was the Monday after Thanksgiving. Perfect. That gave me time to arrange Mom's spa day and gave Grandma enough time to pack.

"I think you should go, Grandma. It sounds like a lot of fun."

"I don't know," she hedged, sliding her uppers around as she debated. "It's a lot of money when I don't even know where we're going."

"That's the fun! It will all be a surprise!" I laughed. "I'll even buy your ticket - my early Christmas present to you. Okay?"

Grandma's eyes got damp but she grinned ear to ear. "Hot damn! Do you mean it?"

"Of course I mean it! I wouldn't offer if I didn't."

Mom was giving me squinty-eyed looks. She knew I was up to something. "Stephanie, can you help me in the kitchen for a minute?"

"Sure, Mom," I said, but I gave the guys a SOS look as I stood up. Hector grinned.

"What are you up to?" she asked as soon as we were in the kitchen. "Why would you buy her ticket?"

"I've been doing pretty well lately, and I want to do something nice for Grandma for Christmas. You don't mind, do you? She'll only be gone, what, a week?"

That sidetracked Mom. I watched her eyes partially glaze over at the idea of having the house to herself for a few days. It wouldn't last, though.

Woody's timing was perfect. He poked his head in the door. "Um, Steph? We kind of need to be going if we're going to make that meeting."

"Oh, right, sorry," I said. I gave Mom a quick hug. "We've gotta go, Mom. Thanks for the cake!"

Mom followed me back to the dining room, where Hector and Woody were both on their feet. They thanked Mom for the cake, told Grandma that had enjoyed meeting her, and told my dad good evening, and we made our escape.

Safely in the car, I grinned at the guys. "So, what did you think? Grandma was pretty tame tonight."

"Not really," Woody contradicted me with an embarrassed grin. "She grabbed Hector's ass-- and she sort of felt me up."

"What?!" I nearly shrieked. I thought she'd been behaving!

"When she reached over and patted my leg…? Yeah, well, she missed my leg."

"When did she grab Hector?"

"Right before we left, when he was getting up from his chair. You were in the kitchen."

I let my head fall back in mortification. "I'm sorry! I thought she was being good for a change."

Hector laughed out loud. "It's okay. Your _abuela_ is _muy loco_! She is fun!"

_**TBC…**_


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: I figured you'd prefer a shorter chapter than a longer wait for an update...**_

_Disclaimer: All character except Max and Yoshi are property of JE and used without permission. Max and Yoshi are mine!_

_**Chapter 33**_

I ended up going dancing with the guys. During the course of the evening we hit three different night spots. At each place we'd dance a little, the guys would cruise for prospective partners, I'd fend off a few potential Lotharios and we'd have a few drinks. By a little after one I was tipsy and tired, and Hector drove me home. Woody walked me up and saw me safely inside. All I had energy for was locking up and pulling off my jeans.

Consequently, I woke at dawn sprawled across my bed in my underwear, freezing my ass off, with a headache the size of...well, a huge headache. I smelled like a smoky brewery and it was turning my stomach. I fumbled my way into the kitchen with only one eye open and found the extra-strength Excedrin and swallowed two with Coke, then took the can with me into the bathroom.

A long, hot shower helped my head, and my stomach felt better without the constant smell of smoke. I went back to bed in my robe with a towel wrapped around my wet hair. I'd probably have to take another shower later just to tame my hair, but I didn't care. I needed more sleep.

I woke a few hours later to the sound of knocking. I struggled out of bed and started for the door, only belatedly remembering to check my robe was closed before I got to the door. The peephole showed Joe in the hall.

I sighed and unlocked the door, pulling it open with one hand while the other held onto the lapel of my robe.

Joe regarded me silently for a moment, then his mouth curved into a smile. "Good morning, Cupcake. I guess what I heard was true."

"What?" My mind was being slow to wake up.

Joe chuckled. "I heard you were out with a couple of Ranger's men last night painting the town red. Looks like you had fun."

I motioned for him to come in so I could close the door. "Fun, yeah. Too much tequila though. What are you doing here?"

"I saw your Jeep parked at the bonds office. I thought you might need a ride."

I looked at the clock. It was after ten. "I do, yes. Do you mind waiting for me to get dressed? I'll be as quick as possible."

"I'm off duty. Take your time. I'll make coffee, if you have it. I could use a cup."

"I should," I said, heading for the bedroom. "Help yourself. There might be food, too."

Once in the bedroom with the door closed, I shed the robe and pulled on clean underwear and a bra, then rummaged for clean jeans. I was nearly out of clean clothes again - time to do laundry. I found a pair of yoga pants and a clean long-sleeved knit shirt. My hair was a crazy mess so I just pulled it back in a ponytail, which was quickly becoming my main hairstyle. I carried my socks and shoes to the kitchen and sat at the table to pull them on. By the time I tied my laces, Joe had coffee made and sat a cup in front of me, with cream and sugar already in it.

"Oh, thank you!" I said gratefully, and I sucked it down. Thanks to the early-morning Excedrin I didn't really have a headache, just the brain-fog that usually goes along with hangovers. I needed caffeine to clear my head.

Joe watched me with a slight smirk on his face as I got up to make another cup, this time in a big travel mug. "So who were you out with last night? The patrolman who spotted you just knew they were some of Manoso's."

"Woody and Hector." Joe gave me a blank look and I knew he didn't know their names. "Woody is the tall sandy-haired guy from Texas. Hector is the short Hispanic guy with tattoos."

Joe bristled slightly. "The one with gang tats? Steph--"

"I know what the tattoo means. I also know that was a long time ago, and Hector's a nice guy."

Joe looked like he wanted to say something but he bit it back. After a minute he seemed to relax a little and he shook his head. "Sorry, it's a habit. Besides, if he's one of Ranger's crew I know they'd never let you get hurt. How come you were with them?"

I had to smile. "I was playing matchmaker. They have a hard time getting nice girls to talk to them, I guess. Or in Hector's case, nice _guys_. I was introducing them to anyone I knew and helping break the ice."

Joe's lips turned up and he shook his head, but didn't make any comments. He finished his coffee and stood up to put his cup in the sink. "Ready?"

I gathered my things and pulled on my jacket. I followed Joe out the door and paused to make sure my door was locked. "I really appreciate you stopping by to give me a ride, Joe," I said was we rode the elevator down.

"Yeah, well," he said, rubbing his eye to hide his smirk. "I wanted to be nosy about what you were up to."

"Hey!"

Joe laughed. "Well, partly. I also wanted to make sure you were okay after I talked to you the other night at the church. Any news?"

I climbed into his SUV as he held the door, but didn't answer until he got in the driver's side. "Not really, not yet. Tank got a message that the mission objective was reported completed the next morning, but nothing else about Ranger."

He nodded silently. After a moment he said, "Hopefully soon."

We turned the corner onto Hamilton, and I looked ahead to where my Jeep was parked.

Tank and Lester, both in RangeMan uniform, stood next to it…waiting.

**_TBC..._**


	34. Chapter 34

_**Disclaimer: Characters except Yoshi and Max belong to JE. Max and Yoshi belong to me! Written strictly for fun, so enjoy!**_

_A/N: Well, I'm posting a __**little**__ more often! Hope you all enjoy… Homecoming is getting closer!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_We turned the corner onto Hamilton, and I looked ahead to where my Jeep was parked. _

_Tank and Lester, both in RangeMan uniform, stood next to it…waiting._

_**Chapter 34**_

Joe's SUV slid smoothly to a stop at the curb behind my Jeep. A trickle of foreboding ran down my back but I tried to shake it off.

Tank's back was to us and he was on his cell. Lester, however, watched me slide out of the passenger seat with his hands on his hips and his face blank. His eyes were flat and cool as they went from me to Joe, and I got a strong wave of disapproval.

Before I could speak, Tank turned. "She's here," he said and flipped his phone shut.

"What's going on, guys?"

"We were looking for you and tracked your GPS, but you weren't here," Tank answered flatly. "I got another message."

Blank faces and messages… Ranger? Bad news? _Oh, no…__**please**__, no!_ My throat closed up and I couldn't breathe… couldn't ask…didn't want to hear… I went lightheaded and my legs buckled. I vaguely heard Joe's startled "_Watch it!"_ and then everything went black.

When I came to, I was in the office, cradled across Lester's lap on the sofa. The office was unusually quiet. I blinked up at Lester.

"Its okay, Beautiful, its okay," he murmured. "Jez, you scared the crap out of us!"

"Is Ranger okay?" I asked hoarsely. It had been my first thought and good or bad I had to know. I was afraid to breathe. They guys had looked so grim…

"I'm sure he's fine. The message Tank got was that the extraction is set for sometime today -- we came to find you because we thought you'd want to wait with us to hear how it goes. We didn't mean to scare you."

Relief swamped me, and I took a deep, shaky breath. "Thank God! You both looked so blank…"

Lester hugged me. "I'm sorry. We got a little worried when your Jeep was here but you weren't. Tank called your cell but there was no answer. Neither one of us knew Woody and Hector had taken you out with them until Lula told us. He was calling Woody to find out if he knew where you were. And then you showed up with the cop…"

He trailed off, but I knew what must have gone through their minds. How many times had they watched me go back to Joe before? But things were different now.

"I guess my phone was in my purse in the living room. I didn't hear it. Joe drove by here this morning and saw my Jeep. He'd heard from a beat cop that I was out with a couple of RangeMan guys last night, so he came to check on me and see if I needed a ride back to the office."

Lester's lips quirked up. "Yeah, that's what he said after he and Tank got done yelling at each other."

That brought the unusual quiet back to my attention, and I tried to sit up. "What? They didn't--? Where is everyone?"

"Easy," he said, helping me into a sitting position but keeping one hand on my arm. "Take it slow, okay? Everyone stepped outside to talk so they wouldn't disturb you."

I looked and sure enough, a knot of people stood on the sidewalk in front of the office. Connie was standing in the middle of the sidewalk with her arms folded across her stomach. Joe was leaning against my Jeep in quiet conversation with Tank. Tank was holding Lula's hand, and Lula was half-turned toward the window, peering through the glass. She saw me sitting up and tugged loose from Tank's grip, heading for the door.

"Here comes the cavalry," Lester murmured.

Lula came through the door at a trot and went down on one knee in front of me, looking up at my face.

"Hey, are you okay? I never seen anyone go that white before."

"I'm fine, Lula," I reassured her, trying to smile. "I just freaked myself out when I saw the guys waiting for me. I'm okay now."

She heaved herself off the floor and onto the seat next to me. "Well shit, don't do that again! You scared the life out of me and Connie, keeling over like that! If this guy hadn't caught you, you'd 'a busted your face --"

"Lester," I interrupted her. She was working herself up for a full rant so I tried to sidetrack her. "This guy is Lester Santos. I don't think you've been introduced."

"What?" she started, confused by my interruption. "Les-- Lester Santos?" Then a light went on in her head, and she cut her eyes to me. "_That_ Lester?"

"Yep." I smiled at my success at diverting her tirade. Of course I'd used poor Lester to do it, which meant I would owe him. I pushed to my feet to make my escape. Lula stood up beside me to get a better look at Les, looking him up and down. He got to his feet warily, giving me an uneasy look.

"Oh, yeah, I can see what they meant," Lula said, referring to the distraction story I'd told her during our shopping expedition. "Um-hmm…"

"What?" Lester asked, looking from Lula to me. I bit my lip and escaped toward the door, Lester's plaintive voice following me. "Steph?"

I pushed out the door onto the sidewalk, and three pairs of eyes swiveled to me. Connie raised an eyebrow.

"Tequila," I said, and she nodded. It was a simple excuse but one I was pretty sure she'd buy, since she had morning-after problems with the stuff, too. She headed back inside muttering something about phones.

Joe waited until the door closed behind her. "You okay, Cupcake?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

There was an awkward pause, and I was wondering what to say. Joe beat me to it.

"I guess it's revealing that finding bodies and getting kidnapped doesn't faze you, but just _thinking_ something might have happened to Manoso freaks you out." His lips tipped up in a wry smile. "I hope it all turns out okay."

He turned to Tank and offered his hand. "Sorry for the misunderstanding. Let me know how it goes." Tank nodded and shook his hand, and Joe climbed into his SUV and left.

Tank turned to me. I started to apologize but he beat me to it.

"Sorry, Bom- um, Steph. We didn't mean to give you a scare. We just got worried that something might have happened to you."

"Its okay, Tank. It's certainly not your fault I freaked out. I guess I'm going to worry until he's actually home."

Tank laid his hand on my shoulder and gave me a real smile. "You wouldn't be human if you didn't."

"So," I said, "your message said extraction is sometime today?"

"Yeah. I didn't get an exact time. I thought you might want to hang out with us at RangeMan today."

"I'd like that."

We rescued Lester from Lula and Connie - from the pink tint to his cheeks and the girls' laughter I assume Lula told Connie the distraction-gone-gay story. He drove me in my Jeep following Tank back to the RangeMan building and I used the time to apologize. He took it all good-naturedly.

"It was a good story. I don't blame you for telling it. But just so you know, I _will_ get even one of these days," he threatened with a grin.

Uh-oh. I'm pretty sure Lester could be very creative when it came to revenge. Maybe if I did him a favor… "Lester, can I ask a personal question? Just between you and me, I promise."

"You can ask."

How should I phrase this? "Do you enjoy being single, or have you just not found the right girl?" Another thought occurred to me and I added, "Or have you been waiting until the end of the contract?"

He shot me a surprised look. "Ranger told you about that?"

"That the four of you with Tank and Bobby were under a government contract? Yes, he did."

"Before or after the call?" he asked curiously.

"Before. Why?"

Lester just gave me a big grin but ignored my last question. "Partly I was waiting, I suppose, but I haven't met anyone who's captured my heart yet. I would like to settle down someday. Why? Have you got any single friends?"

"Maybe," I hedged. I did, but I wanted to talk to them before I made any introductions. The Merry Men were not your average men and it would probably be a good idea to give a regular woman a little heads-up before introducing them. "I know a lot of women around here. Maybe later you could give me some ideas what you're looking for in a girlfriend and I'll see who I know. I might be able introduce you to a couple of girls."

"I guess you're out of the running," he said.

"I hope so."

"Are there any more at home like you?" he asked lightly.

"Maybe not quite as crazy," I hedged with a smile.

"Bring 'em on."

By the time Lester parked the Jeep in the garage, Tank was waiting for us at the elevator. We rode up to five and I followed the guys into the control room.

"Any news?" Tank asked. Bobby shook his head from his post at the monitors.

Tank headed for his office, and Lester went back to his desk. I said hi to Bobby and Max, who was also manning monitors, and wandered over to 'my' cubicle. As soon as I sat down in the chair my cell phone rang. It was my mom.

"Stephanie, I intended to ask you last night -- are you going to be here Thursday? Would you like to bring someone?"

I drew a momentary blank, then realized with a start that Thursday was Thanksgiving. I needed to pay more attention to days. I only had a few days left to get Grandma's tickets and Mom's spa day set up. "I'll be there, Mom. Probably it will be just me." It would be too much to hope for that Ranger make it home by then.

"Well, okay. You could probably bring several friends if you wanted. Valerie and her family are going to be eating dinner with Albert's mother so there will be plenty."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll let you know, okay? Would you like me to bring anything?"

"No, just come. You can come early and watch the parade with Mother if you want. She'd like that."

"Okay." I hung up and pulled the desk calendar closer, looking at the days. I had to look at my phone to see today's date. It was Saturday. No wonder the bonds office had been so quiet this morning.

It took several minutes of digging to find the card Connie had given me for the salon and the scrap of paper on which I'd written the name of the travel agency sponsoring the mystery tour. There was no phonebook handy so I did the next best thing and booted up the computer, going to an online yellow pages listing to find the travel agency's phone number.

There were still tickets available, I learned with relief. The tour was by bus, one of the big nice ones with huge windows and toilet facilities in the back. The seats were comfortable and not crammed together, so it should be a pleasant trip for Grandma. The woman was pleasant and had answers to a lot of questions I hadn't even thought to ask. There would be two people per hotel room at the various stops, unless the genders came out uneven. There were two tour guides, one male and one female, both trained in first aide and CPR and carrying cell phones for emergencies. She took Grandma's name, address and phone number, then asked for my name and phone number. She verified the total price for the ticket, including tax, and said I could come pay it any time between now and when they left Monday. I made it easy on myself and paid by credit card over the phone.

_One project down_, I thought as I hung up. Something the agent had said made me think of something else that might be a good idea for Grandma to have - a cell phone. I called Valerie and gave her a quick rundown of the plan for Grandma and Mom. She thought it was wonderful and asked if she could help, so I told her I thought it would be a good idea if Grandma had a phone for emergencies. She thought it was a good idea, too, and said she'd get one of the prepaid ones and set it up for her today, so it'd be ready to go.

_I'm cooking now_, went through my mind as I hung up with Valerie. She'd liked the idea of a spa day so much that I wondered if that would be a good gift for her for Christmas, too. Maybe not a whole day -- with her kids probably a couple of part-day visits would be better. Separate certificates for a massage, a hairstyle, or a facial each time so she could spread out the time. Yeah, that would be good. I called the salon and got Mom set up for Tuesday. With Grandma leaving Monday it would be hectic, and Mom would have the rest of the day to unwind a little so she could enjoy Tuesday. I'd go by and pay for it Monday afternoon, and get Val's certificates then.

I'd just leaned back when Lester came into the cubicle at a run and pulled me up out of the chair.

"Phone, Tank's office," he said urgently, and I ran with him back to Tank's door. Bobby and Tank were standing on opposite sides of the desk staring at the phone. I heard a rustle coming from it and realized it was on speaker.

"Okay, we're all here," Tank said.

"All right. Like I said, he's okay and headed back to base now. The captain in command owed Manoso, and he's a friend of mine. He sent this to me."

There was a little traffic noise in the background and then a sound recording started.

There was a funny sound in the background. It took me a moment to realize it was a helicopter -- obviously sitting on the ground but with the blades still going.

"He's ten minutes late, Cap."

"We have a twenty-minute window. He gets the full twenty minutes."

"They said he's never late."

There was a moment of silence broken only by the sound of the helicopter, then a rustle of clothing.

"Yes, sir," the voice said, even though the Captain hadn't spoken. He'd obviously just given the man a look.

A minute later there was a stir, then faint sounds.

"Was that gunfire? There he is, boys, and looks like he's got a tail. Get this heap ready to jump! He's coming in hot!"

There were several pings, voices cursing, then the loud rattle of automatic rifles. Muffled shouts and distant cries, then a loud thud and an urgent shout, "He's in! Lift off! Go! Go! Go!" More automatic gunfire, then there was just the sound of the chopper blades and the rustle of movement.

"Glad you could make it." The Captain's voice held relief and concern underneath the surface humor.

I heard Ranger's voice but couldn't make out his words. My heart leapt. He must have made a pithy comment because the Captain laughed.

"Boy, you sure know how to stir up trouble. They chase you the whole way out?"

He must have moved closer, because Ranger's next words were clearer. "Pretty much. Thanks for waiting." His voice was rough and he sounded exhausted.

"You look a little fried around the edges. You wounded anywhere?"

Ranger's voice was too soft to catch. Then the Captain said, "Shit! Catch him! What the hell's wrong with his arm?"

There was a lot of scuffling and rustling noises, then the Captain spoke again. "Radio ahead and let them know we'll be landing directly at the base hospital. No major holes in him, but he's dehydrated. He'll need some attention."

The recording cut off, and the other voice came back on.

"They landed about ten minutes ago. Like the Captain said, no major injuries, just minor stuff and some dehydration. I'll keep you posted."

The connection was cut, and Tank reached over and shut off the speakerphone. I realized I was sitting in a chair with Lester standing on one side of me with his hand on my shoulder. Bobby was kneeling on the other side with his fingers on my wrist.

"Are you okay, Bomber?" Tank asked.

I took a moment. My heart was beating way too fast and I could hear it in my ears, but other than that I was okay. I had heard the whole recording: I hadn't passed out. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay."

I saw Bobby give a microscopic nod, and all three of the guys relaxed slightly.

"Good," Tank said. "Well, Ranger's out and safe. They'll probably keep him in the hospital a day or two if he's dehydrated, to make sure he's okay. Then he'll have to go through debriefing before he'll be released. It'll be several days to a week, at a guess, before he gets to head back here."

I know he was trying to let me know it would still be a while before Ranger came home, and I appreciated it. But it wasn't necessary. "It doesn't matter. As long as he's okay… I just needed to know he's okay."

Tank nodded and Lester's hand squeezed my shoulder gently. Bobby got to his feet. "I suspect that all the ups and downs so far today have left you just a little shaky, eh, Steph? Want to come to the break room with me? I want some coffee, and I believe Ella may have left something sweet for us today. What do you say?"

Actually, I hadn't had anything besides coffee since dinner last night, and my stomach was feeling a little unhappy. "Sure, Bobby. That sounds good."

When I stood I was disturbed to find Bobby was right about being shaky, too. My legs felt like Jello. I was more than a little relieved when Bobby put a companionable arm around my waist to walk me out, and kept it there until we reached the break room.

I sank into a chair at the small table, feeling oddly numb. Bobby didn't say anything, just poured a mug of coffee for each of us. He set the coffee on the table, put cream and sugar in front of me, and turned to snag a basket of muffins from the small counter before seating himself across from me. I stirred cream and sugar into my coffee slowly, trying to give myself time to catch up.

"Let's see, there are a couple of bran, a chocolate chip, a blueberry, and a couple of apple-cinnamon. Anything sound good?"

"Apple-cinnamon, I think."

He sat a large muffin, plump with apple chunks, on a napkin in front of me and chose the blueberry for himself.

"So you were out with Woody and Hector last night?" he asked conversationally as he began to peel the paper baking cup from his muffin. "Where did you go to eat?"

"I don't think I saw the name, actually," I told him. "It was a Mexican food place, and everyone seemed to know the guys. Our waitress's name was Anna, if that helps."

Bobby smiled. "Sounds like Rosa's Cantina. Did you like it?"

"Oh, yes. The food was wonderful!"

He kept up the idle chit-chat, putting me at ease, and before I knew it I'd eaten the muffin and finished the coffee. My stomach settled down and I felt much steadier.

"Thanks, Bobby," I said softly. He shrugged it off as if he hadn't done anything. "I appreciate what all of you have done for me, you know. This…waiting…would have been a lot harder for me if I'd been left on my own. I just want to say thanks."

He reached across and squeezed my hand. "You're important to us," he said simply.

When he leaned back in his chair I caught myself yawning. He grinned. "Yeah, stress has that effect on me, too. Why don't you go up to seven and lay down for a bit?"

It suddenly sounded like a very good idea. I got up, gave Bobby a one-armed hug from behind his chair, and headed for the elevator. Once in Ranger's apartment I toed off my shoes in the foyer, dropped my keys in the dish by the door, and headed for the bed. I barely remember lying down before I was out like a light.

_**TBC…**_

_A/N: If you could see how often I read and re-read the reviews I get, more of you would leave them! They keep me going!_


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! I've been wallowing in them like a little piggy! You still have to wait for your smut fix, though. Steph has to wait, so you do, too!**_

_Disclaimer: I only with they were mine… I'd have SO much fun!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 35 **_

I woke in darkness and spent several disoriented minutes trying to figure out why it was so dark and why I was sleeping in my jeans. The faint scent of Bulgari from the pillows jogged my memory, finally, and I remembered coming up to Ranger's apartment for a nap.

The clock by the bed read two-thirty a.m. So much for a nap! I thought about getting up and going home but decided it wasn't worth it. Instead I got up and stripped, used the bathroom, and took my makeup off. Then I pulled one of Ranger's t-shirts over my head and climbed back under the covers. I hugged one of the pillows and sighed.

Today had been wild. At least I knew Ranger was safe, although probably stuck in a hospital somewhere on a military base. He probably wasn't exactly a model patient… The very idea of Ranger pretending to be a cooperative patient had my lips quirking up. No major injuries, the voice had said. It would be more reassuring if I knew what these people considered 'major'…

I dreamed, and the images in the dream came straight from that sound recording.

_There was in an open helicopter with several men in field uniform, and machine guns mounted inside the open doors. Overhead the blades turned steadily, idling ready to go at a moment's notice. All eyes were alert and watchful, studying the nearby tree-line. _

_Someone pointed, and I could see faint puffs of smoke coming from some distance away, still in the trees. Faint sounds grew louder, finally heard above the sound of the rotors…gunfire, faint but definite. Then the figure of a man in camouflage could be seen, barely distinguishable in the underbrush, running full tilt for the chopper. Halfway across the clearing his tail became visible, men in tattered green uniforms emerging at a run from the trees. Bullets whined and kicked up chunks of dirt all around the fleeing man, and several pinged off the helicopter. The Captain was yelling, and the gunners began to return fire, chasing the pursuers back and pinning them in the trees. The man reached the chopper, cleared the distance to the doors in one lunge. There was shouting and then we were up, lifting fast, swiftly climbing out of range of the ground troops' weapons…_

I woke with a start, sitting straight up in the bed with my heart pounding in my ears. The dream had been so vivid that the sheets felt foreign against the skin of my legs. I closed my eyes and concentrated on slowing my breathing, finding myself hugging Ranger's pillow for comfort. _Ranger is safe_, I reminded myself. He might not be all the way home yet, but he wasn't seriously hurt and he had people looking after him. He'd be home soon.

Gradually my heartbeat slowed to normal and I relaxed, sliding back under the covers. Sunlight was gilding the edges of the blinds when I finally fell back to sleep.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

The next time I woke, the clock said ten a.m. Better still, I hadn't dreamed.

I got up and got dressed, making a face at myself in the mirror when I saw my hair. I was seriously going to have to learn some different hairstyles to tame my wild curls. I brushed it and worked it into a loose braid, securing the ends with my hair-tie. I applied some makeup from the little bag still on the counter, brushed my teeth and called it good.

Back in the bedroom I surveyed the mess I'd made of the covers on the bed and grimaced. If I left them this way it would be apparent I'd had a restless night so I re-made the bed. Probably Ella was faster at it, I thought, but I didn't do a half bad job. Feeling better, I headed out to find my shoes.

Something on the kitchen bar caught my eye. A clear plastic dome covered a plate holding muffins and donuts. A small piece of paper was taped to the top.

_There's a breakfast burrito in the fridge._ It was signed _Ella._

I grinned. Ella was such a sweetheart! I felt so spoiled.

Sure enough, there was a plate with a waxed-paper wrapped burrito on it. Attached was another little note that said to microwave it for one minute. I unwrapped it and followed the directions, sniffing with delight as I pulled it from the microwave nice and hot. It held scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and cheese all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla -- one bite and I was in heaven! I finished it, ate a donut, and swiped a banana-nut muffin for later because I got too full. I found a notebook and pen in one of the kitchen drawers and left a big thank-you note for Ella, decorated with smiley faces and hearts.

I got my shoes on, picked up my keys, and looked around for my purse. No purse. Did I have it with me yesterday when I came up? I couldn't remember. In fact, I couldn't remember having my purse in my hands since I got out of Joe's SUV. Sheesh, it could be anywhere! Joe's SUV, the bonds office, my Jeep, or somewhere in the office… Wait a minute, I'd had it at my cubicle when I was setting up Mom's appointment.

Satisfied that I at least had a place to start looking, I left the apartment and took the elevator down to five. It was Sunday, I remembered, and it was predictably quiet in the offices. I stopped in the control room and found Woody and Max on monitor duty.

"Hi, Woody. Hi, Max. How's it going?"

"Hey, Stephanie," Woody gave me a guilty-looking smile. "I heard what happened yesterday morning. I'm sorry, I intended to call you when I got up, and to make sure you got back to your Jeep. I just didn't think you'd be up so early."

"That's okay," I reassured him with a smile. "I normally wouldn't have been. Joe woke me up knocking on my door."

"I still feel like I should apologize. If I'd called earlier maybe yesterday would have gone a little smoother for you."

"I doubt it. Tank tried to call me and I didn't hear my phone. I guess I left it in my purse in the living room when I went to bed, so even if you'd called I might not have heard it. Don't worry about it, it all came out okay. Did you hear about Ranger?"

"Yeah, glad to hear he caught his ride. It sounds like he had a lot of fun this trip."

Max made a sound like a snort, then pretended to cough to cover it. I gave him a pat on the back.

"Its okay. You have to remember that most of these guys have a seriously skewed view of fun, Max. And much as I hate to say it, I think it might be contagious."

That made them both laugh.

"What are you doing down here, Steph?" Max asked.

"I think I left my purse in my cubicle yesterday, and I came to look for it. Then I'll be heading home for a while. You guys have a nice boring day, okay?"

The guys groaned and told me to take it easy. I went on to my cubicle, finding it as I'd left it. Leaving at a run as I had, my purse was spilled on the desktop and the floor, and I'd left the computer on. As I waited for it to shut down I heard my phone beep, but it took a few minutes to find it. It had fallen onto the floor under the desk. I had a new text message.

The 'from' number was the carrier's code for messages sent from their web page. When I opened the message my heart skipped a beat.

_"Babe, I'm still in one piece but stuck off-site. Hope to be home soon. xR"_

Ranger! He'd found a way to send me a message! I looked at the time and found it had arrived around four a.m. and wished I'd taken my phone upstairs with me. Not that it would have done any good -- I had not way to reply.

I read the message again and wondered what 'off-site' meant. I'm sure it wasn't literal. Off-base? No, he would have said that. I needed an interpreter. Who to ask? Would Max or Woody know?

I stuffed my belongings, including the paper I'd scribbled notes on yesterday, into my purse and headed back to the control room.

"Hey, guys?" I ventured, poking my head in the door. "Were either of you in the military?"

They both shook their heads. Woody looked curious. I hadn't learned to read Max's blank face yet. I didn't explain, just gave them a finger wave and left.

As I stepped into the elevator I remembered my talk with Lester about the apartments. Tank might be home.

Feeling like I was venturing into restricted area, I got off on the forth floor and crept down the hall to the apartment Tank was using. Taking a deep breath I tapped softly, reasoning that if Tank was asleep a soft knock wouldn't wake him.

I nearly jumped when the door opened a moment later. Tank looked at me curiously. He was dressed except for his shoes, as if he was getting ready to go out.

"Steph? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, exactly… I got a text from Ranger but I don't quite understand part of it." I stopped, uncertainly, wondering if I sounded like an idiot.

Tank opened his door wider and stepped back, inviting me inside. I took a few steps inside and offered Tank my open phone. While he read the short message I glanced around curiously. This apartment was a little larger than Four, the only other apartment I'd been in besides Ranger's. The small living room was neat and clean, but there were books on shelves and a collection of DVDs near the TV.

I looked back and found Tank watching me with a faint grin.

"I assume you mean the 'off-site' reference?" he asked. I nodded. "It means he's still in another country, not back in the States yet. 'Off-site' refers to a friendly country. If he'd said 'outside' it would mean he was stuck in unfriendly territory."

Okay, that made perfect sense now. I looked up to thank Tank and found he was still grinning at me. "What?"

"He also said 'hope to be _home_ soon' -- not just to be _back_.Sounds like he might be in a hurry."

My heart stuttered again, and I felt my face growing warm. Tank's grin widened and he handed my phone back to me.

"Just pity the poor people assigned to him at the hospital," he joked, patting my shoulder, and I had to smile.

"Thanks, Tank."

I beat a hasty retreat and made it home in record time.

It was early but I didn't feel like visiting my parents today. I showered and changed, spent some time experimenting with my hair, and put on light makeup. Full of nervous energy, I cleaned my apartment from top to bottom, even wiping out the refrigerator. Then I sorted my laundry and carted everything down to the Jeep. I had several loads and the Laundromat was faster.

With the washers going I still wasn't able to settle, so I dumped my purse out on one of the folding tables. I ate the muffin I'd saved this morning as I sorted through the mess, tossing all the candy wrappers, fast-food receipts, and chunks of lint. I found the battery in my stun-gun had gone dead. There was a small notebook in the pile so I started a list, putting batteries on the first line, followed by laundry soap and milk. I kept the notebook and pen out and loaded everything else back into the bag, and sat down to think.

I needed some fresh ideas for my hair - and some new hair-ties. I used to have a whole drawer full of various clips, combs, and do-dads for my hair, but over the course of several minor disasters they'd been lost or destroyed, and I'd never gotten around to replacing them. I added 'hair things' to my list.

What else did I need to do this week? I remembered talking to Valerie, and I called to see if she'd gotten the phone for Grandma. No answer. She was probably at Mom's. I made a note to check with her later.

Grandma's ticket was paid for, but I needed to go pick it up -- I wrote that down, too, and to check with Lula about the cameras. Dang! If I actually remembered to check my list I might get organized!

The washers stopped, and I got up to sort clothes into dryers and feed them quarters. The urge to plan had fled by the time I sat back down, though, so I put my notebook away and let my mind drift until the dryers were done. Folding clothes gave me the urge to go shopping again to add to my small collection of 'nice' clothes. Once the clothes were safely stashed back in the Jeep I turned toward the mall instead of my apartment.

I normally didn't like to go shopping alone. I hadn't done it very often.. 'Burg girls looked at shopping as a social activity, after all. But today I enjoyed going at my own pace and checking out stores I didn't normally visit.

I bought a pair of yoga pants on clearance, and found a sale on sports bras. I browsed through costume jewelry and housewares and shoes. I found a couple of pretty shirts on sale, and a new pair of slacks that made me look slim in all the right places. Victoria's Secret had a sale on thigh-high stockings, and a buy-one, get one free sale on a lot of things. I picked out two strapless bras, one black and one white, and several pairs of v-front panties. I looked at nightshirts but talked myself out of them.

By the time I got home I was starving. I called for pizza and put away my things away quickly, then settled down in front of the TV to eat. I spent a little quality time with my Spanish program afterwards, but I was yawning by ten and decided to go on to bed. Maybe sleep would make time seem to go faster. Now that I knew he was safe I was anxious for Ranger to come home.

_**TBC…**_

_Not much more waiting, I promise!_


	36. Chapter 36

_**Disclaimer: I think you all know the drill by now… Characters property of JE except for Max and Yoshi - they're mine.**_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 36**_

Morning found me awake far too early. I tried to go back to sleep but I was too restless. Around six-thirty I gave up, got out of bed and took a shower. I took a little extra time after putting on my usual makeup and actually styled my hair for the first time in a week before getting dressed in clean jeans and one of my new shirts. The thermometer on the fire escape said that it was cold even though it was sunny out, so I looked for a heavier jacket. Then I headed out, determined to get things done today.

The bakery was busy with the before-work crowd, so I had time standing in line to decide on my order. A woman in front of me got a mocha latte, taking the lid off to stir in extra sugar, and I found myself staring at it. The color was so close to Ranger's skin…my thoughts wandered, wondering how he was doing and if he still needed medical care, and it wasn't until the woman behind me cleared her throat impatiently that I realized the line had moved. I quickly placed my order and gave myself a mental shake. I needed to keep myself busy or lose my mind.

I sat in the Jeep in the parking lot and dug my notebook and the sheet of paper on which I'd scribbled the ticket information out of my purse. I was relieved to see I'd written the phone number and address of the travel agency down, and called to see when they opened. They already were, so I headed over, eating a donut and drinking my coffee on the way.

The agent had the ticket ready for me. Also included in the folder was a list of suggested items to make the trip more pleasant. I scanned it and noted it listed a camera and personal items like toiletries and medications. There was also a short form listing information such as emergency contacts and your doctor's name and number. There was space for listing medications and any medical conditions or allergies, and a bright-orange envelope to tuck it into. The envelope suggested keeping it in a wallet or purse where it would be easily accessible in case it was needed. It was an excellent idea and I made a mental note to point it out to Mom.

It was still early when I left the travel agency. The bonds office would be open but it was too early for Connie to know if there were any new skips, so I headed to Valerie's. The kids would have left for school by now and it might be a good time to check in with her.

My timing was good. She'd just finished feeding Lisa, and Albert had gone to work. The house was quiet and she still had coffee. We sat at the kitchen table while Lisa played with a soft activity book in her high chair, and Valerie showed me the phone she'd gotten for Grandma.

"The folding phone was a little bit more expensive, but I think it will be easier for her to use," she said. "The buttons are bigger and covered so they won't get bumped in her purse. And I got this, too, but couldn't decide if Grandma would like it or not."

She held out a lipstick-red cover for the phone with a rhinestone design framing the outside screen. It practically screamed Grandma's name. I had to laugh.

"Are you kidding? Grandma will love it!" It was perfect. It would even match her favorite red wool coat.

A smile spread across Valerie's face. "You think so? Oh, good! I was worried she might think it was too much."

I looked at her and we both burst out laughing. It felt good. I couldn't remember the last time I'd laughed with Val.

Valerie had already activated the phone and tested it to make sure it worked. We put our phone numbers into the contacts list and I added the new number into my cell. I also wrote it in my notebook to give to Mom later. Then I played with Lisa while Valerie boxed it up and wrapped it to give to Grandma. She'd decided to give it to Grandma Thanksgiving morning so she could get used to it before the trip.

The pleasant visit with Valerie left me in a good mood as I cruised to the bonds office. Connie was still looking a little sleepy but she was smiling a lot so I teased her about her weekend. Lula was cheerfully going on about her weekend, too, which had been especially good because Tank had spent Sunday with her.

Connie had four files for me. There were two for RangeMan but Lula had already called Tank for those. I looked through the files and found a familiar name -- Norvil Thompsen, the crazy old coot who threw food. The last time I'd gone after him I'd been with Ranger. He'd managed to stay clean but I'd ended up with egg in my hair and the shortest haircut I've had since third grade. It wasn't an experience I wanted to repeat.

Tank and Lester arrived for the new files, bringing Connie some paperwork she'd requested and dropping off a couple of body receipts, too. Lester sat down with me and chatted while Tank took care of business and spent a little quality time with Lula out back. A few minutes after they left again I remembered to ask Lula about the disposable cameras.

"Oh, I brought it to show you and nearly forgot," she exclaimed, rummaging in the tote bag she'd brought to work. "My neighbor Carly across the hall works at that new electronics store and got me a good deal on this."

She hauled a box out of the tote and handed it to me. It was a small digital camera.

"See," she continued, turning the box over and showing me the features shown on the back, "its real simple to use. It has a big screen on the back instead of an itty-bitty viewfinder, it came with a case and a memory card, and it uses regular batteries. With Carly's discount it was less than what a few of those disposables cost. Grandma can take the card to any photo place and get the pictures printed when she gets back."

I looked at the descriptions and Lula was right. It looked easy to operate.

"This is great!" I told her. "Grandma will love it." I filled Connie and Lula both in on the phone Valerie had gotten, and they agreed that with the new toys to play with, maybe Grandma wouldn't have time to get into too much trouble on the trip. I could only hope!

Lula was going to give it to me to take to Grandma but I thought Lula should give it to her in person. Lula would enjoy seeing her reaction, too, so she decided to wrap it and take it to Grandma between Thanksgiving and Sunday so she'd have time to play with it. I made a note of what kind of batteries the camera used. Since I needed batteries for my stun-gun anyway I'd get an extra set for Grandma to pack.

From the bonds office I headed to the store and bought batteries, the items I'd put on the list in my notebook, and a few food items. I took my groceries home and changed the battery in my stun-gun before I forgot, then headed to my parents' house.

Mom was making tuna salad sandwiches when I got there. Grandma was upstairs.

"Is Grandma okay?" I asked, surprised she wasn't in the kitchen with Mom.

"She's fine. She's been up there all morning trying to figure out what she should pack for her trip." Mom rolled her eyes but she was smiling faintly. "She's really excited about this trip, Stephanie. It's kept her occupied all weekend."

From Mom's smile I took that as a good thing. I showed Mom the suggestion list for packing and pointed out the emergency information sheet and envelope. She agreed that it was a good idea and said she'd make sure it got filled out and tucked into Grandma's purse. I checked to make sure Grandma wasn't coming down and told Mom about the phone Valerie was giving her, and wrote the number in the address book she kept under the phone. Then I told her about Lula getting the camera. Mom was a little surprised Lula wanted to do that for Grandma, but then mentioned that Grandma always got a kick out of riding with me when Lula was along.

We called Grandma downstairs to eat, and I gave her the tickets and the list. We talked about some of the suggested items while we ate. Mom was great, sidetracking Grandma about shoes when Grandma started fretting about finding her old camera and buying film. When we were finished Grandma went back upstairs and I helped Mom clean the kitchen.

"Have you decided if you want to bring anyone to dinner Thursday?" Mom asked. "You can bring Lula or some of your friends from the security company."

I already knew Lula and Tank had plans for Thanksgiving together, but I hadn't thought about the other guys. Did they have plans, or family close by? "I'll ask some of the guys, okay? I know Lula has already made plans with Tank but I don't know about anyone else."

"Okay. I bought a big turkey before Valerie told me they wouldn't be here, and if it's just the four of us at Thanksgiving we'll be eating leftovers for a month."

Well, I loved turkey sandwiches but that many leftovers would make my mother crazy.

On my way home I called Tank and picked his brain about the guys. Woody and Max he knew for sure didn't have family close. Hector was working Thursday but was going to visit his family Friday. He wasn't sure about the others. I'd just have to talk to the guys individually.

Back at my apartment I divided my time between phone calls to the Merry Men and reading my files. After talking to Cal I called Mom and asked her how many people she wanted to cook for, and explained how many of the guys had no family close, or in some cases, just no family. Mom told me to invite all of them -- it couldn't possibly be any crazier than when Valerie's brood was there. Dad overheard and said they could come watch football, too, if they wanted.

I passed the invitation along to the guys and they were more than a little surprised. I got several texts in the next few hours to accept and say thanks for the invitation. I called Mom back and told her to prepare for an army. She actually sounded excited.

By the time I crawled into bed I'd accomplished all but one item on my list, had done research on two of the new skips and the one repeat, and tired myself out. I went to sleep thinking of Ranger and had _**very**_ pleasant dreams…

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Hector showed up outside the bonds office Tuesday morning and rode with me until mid-afternoon. I spent the morning knocking on doors and asking around about my skips. Most of the time we spent in the car we spoke Spanish. I still had a little lag time when Hector talked too fast but mostly I could keep up. We ate lunch at Rosa's and Anna was impressed with my progress. Hector was grinning proudly and it made me feel really good.

Later in the afternoon Lula and I caught one of the skips drunk at his girlfriend's house. Lula sat on the overly-protective woman while I cuffed the inebriated man, and we hauled him back to jail. After that, we spent some time in a bar where another skip was a regular, but he didn't show. We called it quits after eleven and I went home to bed.

Wednesday I was solo most of the day until I called Lula to help me nab another skip in the early evening. We ended up with a two-fer when we discovered he'd been meeting someone. They got into an argument and beat each other to a pulp and had no fight left in them when we stepped in. Now the only skip I had left was Norvil the food-flinger, and I had a plan for him.

Thursday I got to my parent's house early to watch the parade with Dad and Grandma. I tried to help Mom in the kitchen but she insisted everything was under control and kicked me out. She'd borrowed folding tables and chairs from Dad's lodge. The tables were set up with pretty vinyl tablecloths and candle centerpieces, and the folded chairs stood waiting along the dining room wall.

Valerie came in around eleven with her present. Mom came in to watch Grandma open it, and we all laughed when Grandma squealed in delight. Val spent a few minutes showing Grandma how to make and answer calls, got a hug from both Grandma and Mom, and left to go to her mother-in-law's house. I hoped her day went okay.

Woody, Bobby, and Hal showed up a half an hour later with a big flat-screen TV they claimed had been sitting in RangeMan storage since it was confiscated during a 'redecorating' job. They had it hooked up in less than ten minutes and Dad was set for football heaven. Cal and Max arrived and asked if it was okay to bring beer, and Dad decided all the Merry Men were great guys even if Cal's tattoo was a little weird. Grandma was giving her new phone number to all the guys and generally reveling in being surrounded by gorgeous men out of uniform.

We ate Thanksgiving dinner at one. Mom took my 'army' comment literally, I think, because she'd gone all out. Besides the huge turkey she'd done a spiral-sliced honey ham and _all_ the trimmings. They guys had brought wine, too, although I didn't see it brought in. They thanked my parents for the generous invitation and toasted Mom for the delicious meal, making her blush. Dinner conversation was lively and accompanied by a lot of smiles, and we all ate too much. It was great.

The guys had worked it out so everyone could have a part-day off. Hal and Bobby watched part of the football game, then they left - carrying desserts, because Mom wouldn't hear of them missing out - and a little later Lester and Hector arrived. Mom made sure they got plenty to eat and after a bit we all had dessert together. Tank and Lula stopped by and Mom coaxed them into having dessert, too – not that it took much convincing.

Lula whispered to me that she'd brought the camera, and did I think it would be okay to give it to Grandma tonight? I told her it was up to her, so she went to Tank's SUV and brought it in. Grandma gave Lula a teary hug and they sat down together to figure out how to work it. For the next couple of hours the Merry Men were all targets for the shutter-happy duo but none of them seemed to mind - some of them even posed.

Woody and Hector somehow managed to talk Mom into letting them wash dishes and help put the food away when things started winding down, and the other guys made quick and quiet work of the folding tables and chairs, even going so far as to load them up in Woody's truck to be returned the next day so Dad wouldn't have to do it.

Lester found a few quiet minutes to ask what was on my schedule for Black Friday - like, did I intend to go shopping? I told him no, and explained about the egg-throwing crazy man I needed to pick up. He grinned and said it sounded like fun, and promised to pick me up in the morning - but not too early.

When everyone was getting ready to leave Dad tried to remind the guys to take the big flat-screen TV, but they just waved him off. "No one was using it, it was just taking up space," Tank told him. "You might as well enjoy it." Dad was still grinning an hour later when I went home.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

When Lester knocked Friday morning I was up, dressed, and working on my hair. The coffee had just finished brewing when I went to let him in.

He came in empty-handed with a shell-shocked look on his face.

"I was going to bring you breakfast, but traffic was _insane_ and all the food places are jam-packed.," he said apologetically. "I thought only the shopping centers would be mobbed today."

"Mostly women are doing the shopping," I explained with a smile as I motioned for him to forage in the kitchen. "That leaves boyfriends and husbands babysitting children on their own for food and entertainment for the day, so, yeah, all the food places will be busy. So will movie theaters and arcades."

He looked at me with dismay and I laughed, ducking back into the bathroom to finish messing with my hair. After a minute I heard him opening cabinet doors.

I pulled my hair into a ponytail and wrapped it around itself to make a messy bun. I shoved the few stray hairpins I'd found into it to hold it, then picked up the big triangle of fabric I'd cut out of an old t-shirt and tied it over my hair. It looked a little weird but if it kept my hair from getting egged I could put up with it.

Lester snickered when I joined him in the kitchen. He'd found my toaster and pop-tarts and was leaning against the counter drinking coffee while he waited for the pastries to toast.

"So who bought the TV for my dad?" I asked as I poured coffee for myself.

Lester choked and nearly spilled his coffee down his shirt.

"You didn't believe what Tank said?"

"There was still some Styrofoam clinging to the back of it when they carried it in, and not a speck of dust."

"Damn," he laughed. "We didn't think of that. Did your dad believe it?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I think he did, and I don't think could be any more pleased. He was still sitting in front of it smiling when I left. So who bought it?"

"We all chipped in, and Tank has a friend in the business so it wasn't all that much. Your grandma told us about her trip, so she's getting a gift card she can use for spending money or getting her pictures printed. We sent your mom flowers this morning and we're hoping you could help us come up with something else she'd like."

"Actually, she loved just having all of you there. Didn't you see her blush at the toast?"

"Steph!"

"Okay, okay! I'll try to think of something!" I laughed. "The best idea I've had for her lately I've already used." We sat down to eat and I told him about the surprise spa day I arranged for Mom while Grandma was gone. We kicked around a few other ideas but none appealed, so we decided to think on it some more and headed out to catch the old coot.

I'd left the old geezer until today on purpose. His main source of ammunition last time had been his commodities, and he was due for a delivery later this afternoon. Hopefully that meant he wouldn't have much handy to throw right now.

Lester was wearing 'civilian' clothes and looked nice. I'd dressed in old clothes for the occasion, so I convinced him to let me go in first and draw Norvil's fire. If I still needed help he could come up after the ammunition ran out and help me carry him down.

I climbed the stairs and banged on the apartment door. Through the thin walls I heard a window go up. Shit! Was he going out the fire escape?

I popped the flimsy door lock and stepped inside just in time to see the old man drop a bulging trash bag out the open window. He turned to face me with a gleeful cackle.

"I got him this time!" he chortled. "No one gets off clean when they hunt me!"

Crap, he thought Lester was Ranger. He'd probably aimed his trash bag at the black SUV. At least he seemed to be out of ammunition now. I wrestled him into cuffs and marched him down the stairs.

Lester was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, covered in eggshells and goo and surrounded by scattered trash and splattered slime. It was all I could do not to laugh at the bewildered look on his face. I guess he'd never been bombed with garbage before.

We loaded Norvil into the back of the SUV and got in. I pulled the cloth off my hair and offered it and an apology to Lester, and he wiped the worst of the mess off his face and hands.

He stoically endured the old man's cackling on the way to the police station. I took my skip in alone so Lester could stay out of sight in the SUV. I told the desk sergeant he should lock the geezer up and throw away the key. He sighed and told me he agreed. I guess Norvil was still a regular customer.

When I climbed back into the SUV Lester seemed to be somewhat recovered, enough to manage a half-laugh. "I was waiting on the steps and heard the window… I barely had time to look up and _**blam!**_ I'm covered in garbage. Man, Steph, I owe you an apology."

"For what?" I asked in surprise. I was thinking it was more the other way around.

"When stuff like this happened to you I smugly thought it was because you weren't paying attention to your surroundings. It never occurred to me that your skips are just plain freakin' _nuts_."

"Trust me," I laughed, "he wasn't the worst. If it helps any I'm pretty sure he thought you were Ranger and he was making up for missing him last time."

That just got a snort, and Lester asked if I minded going back to RangeMan with him so he could get cleaned up. It was fine with me -- I was done for the day.

At RangeMan I followed Lester into the elevator. He sighed and pressed the button for five. "I might as well let the guys get their jollies now. Otherwise they'll just blackmail me with security photos later."

The elevator was met by a group of black-clad men, most of them grinning ear to ear. Applause broke out as soon as Lester stepped out onto the floor. He took it with good humor, pivoting to show them all sides and then bowing. The jokes started flying then.

"Les, man, we knew you were a dog, but you _gotta_ stop rolling in the garbage!"

"Jez, what'd you do? Chase a skip through the landfill?"

"No, he probably pissed Steph off and she tossed him in a dumpster."

I protested that I had nothing to do with it and that earned me a round of teasing, too. Ella came out of the break-room and Tank came out of his office to see what was going on.

Then from behind me a voice said, "Babe, what happened to Santos?"

_**TBC…**_

_A/N: LOL, guess who!_


	37. Chapter 37

_A/N: Jez, calm down! You all wanted me to bring him home and I did! Evil Grin _

_**Discalimer: Ranger isn't mine, drat it all. Max and Yoshi are mine, the rest belong to JE. I'm just playing with them…**_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_I protested that I had nothing to do with it and that earned me a round of teasing, too. Ella came out of the break-room and Tank came out of his office to see what was going on._

_Then from behind me a voice said, "Babe, what happened to Santos?"_

_**Chapter 37**_

I was starting to turn with a laughing protest on my lips when the voice registered, and I finished the turn with a gasp_. "Ranger!"_

The Merry Men fell silent as all eyes turned to the stairwell door.

Time seemed to pause as I stared at him. He looked thin and exhausted but he was still a sight for sore eyes. He was dressed in black jeans and a black turtleneck with an Army-green all-weather jacket over it. His hair hung oddly loose around his shoulders, and something around his eyes made me wonder if he was in pain. A moment later I noticed white gauze peeking out of the sleeve on his left wrist.

Lester broke the silence first, stepping forward with a grin and his arms outstretched like he was going to hug Ranger. "Boss-man, you're home!"

He stopped dead when Ranger pointed a threatening finger at him, but then Ranger's lips twitched up and everyone laughed. Then they all seemed to speak at once, welcoming him home, congratulating him on his mission… Everyone but me, and I seemed to have been struck dumb. My feet worked, though, because I was moving closer, never taking my eyes off him even as his men surrounded him.

I was within touching distance when his eyes found mine, and he smiled.

"Babe."

My answering smile trembled and I had to blink back tears. He reached for my hand and pulled me closer, his eyes never leaving mine. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him, how proud I was of him, how his men had looked out for me in his absence, and I had questions -- so many things were tumbling around in my brain and only one made it out, just above a whisper. "Are you okay?"

He squeezed my hand gently. "Just got a few dents and dings."

My eyes fell to the gauze at his wrist. He held his arm up and looked at it as if he'd forgotten it, then shook his head slightly. "I'm not going to miss the damned snakes."

Tank's low chuckle rolled out and Lester muttered something under his breath. I saw Bobby shudder and the other guys either laughed or nodded.

Ranger turned his attention back to his men then, his face serious, but he kept a firm grip on my hand.

"I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that our contract" he made eye contact with Tank, Lester, and Bobby, "is now considered completely fulfilled."

"What's the bad news?" Bobby asked tersely.

Ranger's lips quirked. "DC insists on a formal retirement ceremony. One month from now, full dress uniforms."

The guys groaned and Ranger chuckled. "What's the matter, boys? You've got a month to make them fit."

Bobby had a pithy reply to that, then the guys started heading back to their workstations. Lester said something about getting cleaned up and took off. Tank gently thunked Ranger on the shoulder.

"Glad to have you back in one piece, man. I'm guessing you'll be taking some time off?"

"Yeah. It may be a few days before I'm up to speed."

"Take your time. See you later, Steph."

Ranger picked up a small duffel bag that had been on the floor behind his feet, then led me slowly toward the elevator. "I need a shower and a nap," he said as we waited for the doors to open. "Want to come up and keep me company?"

The elevator doors opened, and I smiled and led him inside.

He hit the remote for the seventh floor and leaned against the wall. He tugged a curl escaping from my bun, ran assessing eyes over my old clothes, and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Norvil Thompsen," I said simply, and his lips curved.

"Ahh. Lester?"

"He was riding with me. I talked him into staying downstairs, but when I knocked on the door Norvil chucked a full garbage bag out the window at Les. I think Norvil mistook him for you."

"And you stayed clean." Ranger chuckled and pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and kissing my temple. "I missed you, Babe."

I slipped my arms around him under his jacket. He was so thin I could feel his ribs, and his skin felt too warm. "I missed you, too." Despite my best efforts my voice wobbled. Ranger's arms tightened and I curled against him, fighting tears.

The elevator dinged. Ranger kept one arm around me as we stepped into the familiar tiled corridor. Ella was coming out of the apartment with a small cart and held the door open for us with a smile.

"I stocked some things in the kitchen, but if you want anything just call," she said, and with a smile she pushed the empty cart into the elevator.

We went inside. Two seconds after the door closed behind us Ranger dropped the duffel bag and pulled me into a slow, deep kiss. There was no pressure behind it and little heat, just reassurance and comfort. When he reluctantly pulled back I smiled against his lips. "Welcome home."

"I like the way that sounds," he murmured, and gave me another kiss before pulling back with a faint groan. "I'm going to take a shower, okay?"

"Okay." He sounded so tired and I wasn't sure what he needed, so I asked, "Do you want company?"

He hesitated, then said, "Not in the shower, but I'd like to hold you while I sleep."

"Okay," I agreed easily and gave him a smile.

He headed for the bathroom. I noticed his forgotten bag and carried it into the bedroom, wondering why it was so heavy as I hefted it onto the bed. I heard the shower come on and eyed the bag curiously. Should I unpack it? I unzipped it and peeked inside. On the top were the cargoes and t-shirt he'd worn the day he left, the faint scent of Bulgari still clinging to them. Beneath them there was a sealed manila envelope, the two guns and knife he normally carried …and a prescription bottle. I read the label and it confirmed my earlier suspicion. They were pain pills.

I put the envelope and the prescription bottle on the nightstand by the bed. The clothes I carried to the laundry basket in the closet, and I put the knife and unloaded guns on top of the weapons safe because I didn't know the combination. Then I went to the kitchen to get something to drink -- and some water for Ranger. I poked my head in the fridge and found a treasure trove. Ella had left all kinds of finger-foods, pre-made snacks, and a couple of heat-and-eat meals besides drinks and fresh fruit. I pulled out a couple of bottles of water, a bottle of Gatorade, and a plate of pinwheel sandwiches made with meat and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla and cut into sections. I cored and sliced an Asian pear onto another plate and made two trips to get it all to the bedroom.

The shower had stopped by the time I ducked into the closet again. I toed off my shoes and shucked all but my panties before putting on one of Ranger's t-shirts. Then I turned back the covers and climbed onto the bed with my booty. I no more than got my legs crossed comfortably before Ranger came in wearing only the black silk boxers.

I had to fight not to gape. Ranger's body has always been ripped, but now there was no padding left on his body. His skin was stretched tight directly over the muscles and with every move I could see them ripple. His 'dents and dings' were apparent, too -- bruises on one shoulder and along one side of his ribs, bruises and shallow cuts along his lower legs. His left wrist and forearm was swollen, and when he reached up to push his hair back I could see where he'd been bitten.

He sat down on the bed and shifted until he was leaning against the headboard. I heard a faint sigh and he turned his head to take in the picnic I'd laid out on the bed. One side of his lips quirked up.

"What's all this?"

I smiled and offered him the plate of pinwheels. "Lunch? I'm hungry, and you ought to eat something."

"Why is that?" he teased with a faint smile.

"Fuel for later," I said, dragging a fingertip along one of his ribs. "You seem to have burned off your reserve."

Ranger captured my hand, pulled it to his lips and nipped me, then chuckled when I jumped. Then he took a sandwich.

I ate a pinwheel, drank some water, and nibbled on a couple of slices of pear. Ranger worked his way through the pear, most of the sandwiches, the Gatorade, and took a pain pill with the last of his water. I ran the dishes back to the kitchen and brought back more water. Ranger had slid under the covers and pulled me down into his arms.

I settled carefully against his side, still unsure as to the extent of his injuries. He pulled me closer, hauling me up until I was sprawled half over his chest, and his hand slid up to tangle in my hair.

"Is this going to hurt you?" I asked softly.

"No. And I wouldn't care if it did - I've thought about sleeping with you like this for the last five weeks."

"And five days," I added, sliding my hand up his chest.

I felt his lips move against my forehead as he smiled. "You were counting?"

"Not on purpose… I couldn't help it." I felt him chuckle and tried to pinch him, and the chuckle turned into soft laughter. His hand caught my chin and turned my face up for his kiss.

Several long moments later he murmured, "I love you, Babe."

"I love you, too," I said softly. "Now shut up and go to sleep."

Ranger laughed, then shifted and sighed, relaxing. And was out like a light.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

I woke slowly some time later. We were still in pretty much the same positions we'd gone to sleep in, although Ranger's arms had loosened. His breathing was slow and even -- he was still asleep, and probably would be for a while. I thought about getting up. I could probably slip out of bed without waking him… or maybe not. I remembered a conversation with Bobby about combat situations, how some men seemed to kick into a hyper-aware state where they were always alert, even when sleeping. He'd said a lot of the best special-forces guys were that way -- and Ranger was one of the best. I didn't think it would be a good idea to startle him awake right now. Besides, I didn't want to leave him. I settled back against him and sighed, breathing in his scent, and went back to sleep.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

The next time I woke my shirt was missing, and Ranger's mouth and hands were sliding up my ribs towards my breasts…

_**TBC…**_

_**Don't shoot! I'm typing as fast as I can! LOL, I'll post more very soon, I promise! In the meantime I've got a poll up on my profile page - where do YOU want this story to go from here?**_


	38. Chapter 38

_Disclaimer: All characters except Max and Yoshi are property of JE. Max and Yoshi are mine, as is this story!_

_**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, I got hung up for a while on a relatively minor thing but I think it got worked out. Let me know what you think!**_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_The next time I woke my shirt was missing, and Ranger's mouth and hands were sliding up my ribs towards my breasts…_

_**Chapter 38**_

Heat seemed to radiate from his skin. I opened my mouth to ask him why, but lost both my breath and my train of thought when his hot mouth found my nipple. The sudden intense sensation had me clutching at his shoulders and squirming, gasping for breath. I felt his silent chuckle at my reaction as he turned his attention to the other side. As he moved his weight shifted and I realized he was lying between my legs - and my shirt wasn't the only thing missing.

"Ranger... Oh my god, Ranger," I managed to find words through the haze of desire rapidly overtaking me, but it took some effort. "Why are you so warm? You feel like fire..."

One hand slid down my thigh and slipped beneath my knee, tugging it up over his hip. "Do you really want to talk right now?" he asked softly, his lips still brushing my breast.

I shuddered as his hot skin came into more intimate contact with mine and shifted my legs to cradle him. "I just...ah...need to know."

He laid his head between my breasts and exhaled slowly, not quite a sigh. The pause that followed was so long that I thought he wasn't going to answer. Then he took a deep breath.

"In some… situations," he began softly, slowly, as if he was picking his words, "when I'm out of adrenaline and have to keep going, my metabolism kind of … kicks into high gear. It gives me an edge, but it raises my temperature and burns me out pretty fast. It takes a few days for my temperature to settle back down."

He moved again, dragging his lips across my skin, then nuzzling his cheek against my breast. I knew there was a hell of a lot he was leaving out, but honestly, what he was doing nearly short-circuited my brain. I didn't need to know all the details and I certainly didn't need them right this moment. All I needed was to know he was okay, and to be with him. Everything else could wait.

"Okay," I said simply.

His chin rested against my breast bone and I knew he was looking at my face. I couldn't see him in the dark but I heard the smile in his voice when he spoke. "That's it? Just 'okay'?"

"Um-hmm..." I traced my fingertips down his arms to his elbows and back up, smoothing my palms across the warm skin of his shoulders. The skin over his bruises was slightly swollen and hotter than the rest.

"You don't have more questions?" There was laughter in his voice now, and I felt his chest vibrating.

My fingers tangled in his hair and I used it to tug his face up to mine.

"Shut up."

The sound of his laughter was sweet. "Yes, ma'am," he whispered. Then he kissed me.

Ranger liked to kiss and it showed. His kisses were heaven. Even back when his kiss just meant trouble for me I hadn't been able to resist him, and now was no different.

His first kiss was gentle, almost innocent. I waited for him to deepen it, but when he continued to just play with my lips I teased his lips with the tip of my tongue. He drew a quick breath, drawing back slightly, then he pulled his body further up mine and slid his hands beneath my shoulders to cradle my head… and his mouth came back down. The kiss was still gentle but now there was heat, and he slowly, slowly took it deeper.

I melted against him as his mouth made love to mine. He explored; he tasted; he teased my tongue with his until I was writhing beneath him. At some point it registered that he was rocking his whole body up and down, dragging his skin against mine with torturous slowness, the tip of his erection just barely touching me.

"Please," I begged as he broke for breath. "_Please!_" I couldn't form any more coherent words but I didn't need them. He knew what I wanted.

I felt the muscles in his back shifting, felt the length of him hot and hard as he pushed slowly into me. Ranger made a harsh sound of satisfaction when he was fully inside me; I moaned at the hot pressure, my breath coming in gasps.

For a long moment he held there, pressed as deep as he could go.

I clung to him, wanted never to let go. "I love you," I whispered raggedly. "I love you."

Ranger's fingers curled over the top of my shoulders, holding me tight. He pulled back slightly then pushed back in. "_Soy el tuyo, Babe,_" he whispered. "I love you too."

The back of my brain fumbled to translate. _Soy el tuyo…_ I am yours. My heart leapt and tears gathered in my eyes but before I could speak he began slow deep thrusts, and all coherence was lost.

His heat enveloped me inside and out with his length stroking me and his arms wrapped around me. Tears dampened the hair at my temples but I could neither stop them nor care. All I could think about was the man in my arms.

I wasn't going to last long. I was close to shattering already, and when I felt the fine tremors begin in his arms I knew he was close, too. His thrusts grew longer and more powerful as his control began to slip. I dug my fingers into his back and held on, crying out as the orgasm broke over me, drowning me with pleasure. He followed me over a heartbeat later, spilling heat deep inside me. After a moment he collapsed onto his elbows, then slowly shifted part of his weight off me. Before my breathing was back to normal I felt his muscles go lax against me. Just like that he was back asleep.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Dawn was breaking when I woke again. I was once more wrapped in Ranger's arms and he was sleeping but I _really_ had to get up. It was hard, but I managed to slowly maneuver my way out of his arms and to the edge of the bed without waking him. I found the shirt I'd gone to bed in on the floor but there was no sign of my panties. Since I was in a rush I just grabbed the shirt and headed to the bathroom.

Once my urgent business was taken care of, I brushed my teeth, took off the remains of my makeup, and ran a wide-toothed comb through my hair before venturing out of the bathroom. Ranger was still sleeping so I crept through the bedroom, heading for the kitchen and a drink.

I found my purse on the bar and realized I'd probably left it in the SUV in the garage. Lester must have found it. My phone was pulled out and plugged in, lying on a folded note. It said _"Keep this within reach, in case you need anything."_ It wasn't signed but I could guess - Lester brought my purse in, Bobby wrote the note, and Tank brought them up and plugged in the phone. I smiled, checked the phone to see if it was done charging, and unplugged it, making sure it was set on silent. I didn't want it ringing _**or**_ vibrating.

There was another plate in the sink along with the two from last night, and an extra juice bottle among the empties. The fridge had been restocked with more water, juice, and Gatorade on the shelves, joined now by yogurt and a bowl of tuna salad. It was too early for me to be really hungry yet but I ate some yogurt and drank some juice before heading back to the bedroom with another bottle of water.

Ranger was pushed up on one elbow, looking around groggily. There was another empty Gatorade bottle and a half-empty bottle of water on the nightstand. It looked like Ranger had gotten up hungry at some point while I slept, and I hadn't even heard him. I decided that was a good sign.

I put my water and phone on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. "Go back to sleep, its okay. I just went to the bathroom and got something to drink," I whispered softly. Ranger's eyes closed and his head lowered slowly back to his pillow. I would have thought he was completely out but as soon as I lay down he hauled me back into his arms. He sighed, and was once again still.

I'm fairly certain I had an idiot grin on my face when I went back to sleep. I was seeing an entirely new side of Ranger -- less superhero, more human, and entirely endearing.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

By mid-morning I was wide awake and unable to go back to sleep any more. But I couldn't get up. Ranger was once again lying between my legs, but now he was sound asleep and using my stomach for a pillow. Some small part of me was a little worried how he'd react if my stomach started growling and woke him. But I was comfortable and I didn't need to get up for anything. I didn't mind being his pillow for a while.

I laid there listening to him breathe for a long while, content just to watch him sleep. Then later my curiosity overcame caution and I tentatively started stroking his hair. In the light I could see why it had seemed different last night - one side of it was singed. Running my fingers gently through it I remembered the recording of his pick-up… Hadn't the Captain said something about him looking a little fried? I couldn't see any signs of burns anywhere, though, so whatever had happened he'd escaped nearly unscathed. The swelling was down in his bruised shoulder today, too. The color had turned darker, that awful greenish-black bruises turn as they heal. But best of all his skin seemed to be close to normal temperature -- assuming I hadn't just gotten used to the heat. I checked again, putting my hand on my forehead for a moment before laying it on his exposed shoulder. Yes, I sighed, normal.

I was idly playing with his hair and wondering where my shirt had disappeared to _this_ time when Ranger finally stirred.

"Getting hungry, Babe?" He spoke without lifting his head from my stomach and there was amusement in his sleepy voice.

I smiled. "Starting to. Did my stomach wake you?"

"I don't know if it was yours or mine." He stretched, pushing up onto his elbows on either side of me, wincing slightly. "I think mine is growling, too."

"Well, the food fairies left plenty of stuff in the fridge. I can go get some, or would you rather go to the kitchen to eat?"

"What time is it?" he asked.

I couldn't see the bedside clock because it had gotten turned sideways. My phone was just within my reach. According to the screen it was ten-thirty…Sunday morning. We'd slept through Saturday. Ranger looked a little surprised to hear that.

"I want a shower first, and then food," Ranger said as he rolled onto his back to stretch again. The covers had gotten lost off the foot of the bed so Ranger was all bare skin and flexing muscle, and I couldn't look away. "Pain pills make me feel like I've got a hangover. I need a shower to wake up."

"Me, too," I murmured.

He turned his head and caught me staring, and his grin flashed. "Want to join me?"

I had to clear my throat before I could answer. "Sure. Um…I should give my mom a quick call first - I missed dinner Friday night and I'm sure she's wondering if I'm coming over today." I no more than said it when my phone started flashing in my hand. Ranger chuckled and rolled off the bed with a faint grunt of pain.

"Just come in when you're done," he said.

I watched him walk to the door and noticed a very slight limp. With all the bruises it was a safe bet that he was stiff and sore. A hot shower would probably feel pretty good.

I answered the phone just before it would have gone to voice mail. As I'd expected, Mom wanted to know if I was okay since I missed Friday dinner, and was I was coming over today.

"I'm fine, Mom. Ranger got back from his out-of-town job Friday afternoon, and I forgot all about dinner. No, I won't be there in time for brunch today, but I might stop over later this afternoon. Okay, Mom. I'll tell him. Bye!"

Ranger was finishing shaving when I went into the bathroom. His eyes met mine in the mirror and one eyebrow went up. "That was fast."

I shrugged. "She just wanted to know if I was going to make it to brunch, and if I was bringing anyone."

He turned his head around to look at me. "Why would she ask that?"

"Your guys have been taking turns riding with me while you were gone. Sometimes I took them with me to my parents' house."

"My guys?"

I had to smile. We had a lot to catch up on. "Yes, your guys. Tank, Lester, Hal, Cal, Woody, Bobby, even Hector took turns spending part of their days off riding along with me, sometimes alone and sometimes with Lula. I know you didn't ask them to," I said when it looked like he was going to interrupt, "but they wanted to help, keep me from worrying too much and keep me out of trouble while you were gone."

Ranger smiled. "Not that you ever get into trouble," he teased.

"Not me," I smiled back. "Anyway, I thought it was sweet of them and it did help. And I got to know them a little better. Grandma loved having them around. Mom even invited them to Thanksgiving dinner."

"She did what?"

He sounded so shocked that I had to laugh. He was done shaving so I nudged him toward the shower.

"It's a long story."

I commandeered the shower gel and started gently washed his back as I talked. I began with Tank driving me home then checking on me the next morning and hit most of the high points - Lester's "pop-quiz" made him chuckle, as did Cal babysitting. I explained about Grandma's mystery tour trip tomorrow, and Mom's surprise spa day. And all the details I could remember about Thanksgiving.

"The only way it would have been better was if you'd been there, too," I told him softly, "but at least I knew you were safe."

We were done washing and just standing with our arms around each other under the cascade of hot water. The heat of the water felt good to me, so I could only imagine how it felt to Ranger. He was moving better now, and seemed more his normal alert self. But we couldn't stay here all day, so he reluctantly reached to turn the shower off.

By the time we got out and dry, my stomach was getting loud enough that Ranger laughed.

"Hush," I commanded. "I can hear yours growling, too. Do you want to eat something from the refrigerator, or would you like something else? Ella has a new pancake recipe."

"Pancakes sound wonderful."

I called Ella while Ranger got dressed and asked for the new pancakes. When I went looking for clothes I found him frowning at himself in the mirror.

"I need a haircut," he said, holding out a section a couple of inches shorter than the rest.

"It looks like you got singed," I said. I really wanted to ask what had happened, but I didn't know if he could tell me.

"Yeah. I kind of rolled through a fire. I'm lucky that was all that burned." His hair wouldn't stay in his usual ponytail, so he pulled the top back and left the back loose. It made him look different.

I pulled on my own jeans and t-shirt left from our weekend. Ranger put on a t-shirt and sweatpants, and Ella brought up a breakfast feast. Besides the flax and pecan pancakes, there were scrambled eggs and bacon - I'm pretty sure it was turkey bacon, but it tasted good.

While we were eating I mentioned I wanted to make a short visit to my parents' house to make sure Grandma had everything she needed for her trip. "You're welcome to come with me if you'd like, but you don't have to. I won't be very long."

"I'll come with you, Babe."

"Mom will try to feed you," I warned. "I think she still has ham from Thursday, and probably pie. She gets carried away in the kitchen."

He just smiled.

He exchanged his sweatpants for black jeans and we headed out. We made a stop on five to check in with the guys on monitor duty - Woody and Hal - before we left the building. My SUV's seat had been cleaned, but Ranger handed me the keys to the Turbo. I was surprised he let me drive, but he got into the passenger seat and stretched his legs out.

Grandma Mazur was in the doorway when we pulled up, and Ranger chuckled at her bright purple pantsuit.

"How much was on that gift card?" he asked.

"Lester didn't say. Why?"

He shook his head slightly and opened his door. "Just curious."

"Valerie's here, too," I warned. Her van was in the driveway, which meant everyone was probably here. "It may be a madhouse."

The house was in its normal state of Sunday-afternoon chaos. Mom greeted us just inside the door and welcomed Ranger back from his trip. Dad and Albert were watching football on the big-screen TV, and the older girls were playing a game on the floor. Valerie was upstairs changing Lisa.

Grandma beamed at Ranger when he complimented her on her new outfit. We migrated to the sofa in the living room, where Grandma showed him her camera, and the pictures on it she'd taken Thanksgiving. Ranger smiled at several of them and seemed surprised that Hector had come.

"Hector doesn't speak much English," he said quietly to me. "I wouldn't have thought he'd come."

"I was surprised, too, but we learned to talk pretty well. I've been kind of helping him with his English, and he'd been here with me once before. I think he was the most surprised when Mom invited all of them, but they seemed to have fun."

True to form, Mom was pushing ham sandwiches and several kinds of pie. Since it hadn't been that long since we'd eaten breakfast, I split a sandwich with Ranger. Mom made wonderful sandwiches and I never turned one down. I also ate a slice of cherry pie. Ranger had two - one of cherry and one pumpkin. He seemed to be quietly enjoying himself but when Lisa decided to crawl over us I saw him wince, and decided we should go. He still needed recovery time.

Back at Haywood I thought Ranger would want to take a nap. Instead, we got comfortable on the sofa and watched a movie…and ended up making love, first on the sofa, then on the floor. Then _**I**_ was ready for a nap, and I dragged him back to bed.

_**TBC…**_

_A/N2: The poll will be up on my profile page until Feb 1st, so go vote if you haven't already. Thanks to all of you who already have! And don't forget, I LOVE REVIEWS!_


	39. Chapter 39

_Disclaimer: All characters except Max and Yoshi are property of Janet Evanovich and are used for fun without permission. They'll be returned unharmed and with silly grins on their faces._

_**Chapter 39**_

It was dark when I woke, but the clock said it was only just after nine pm -- and still Sunday. My stomach was growling again.

I tried slipping out of bed very carefully but Ranger woke anyway, coming to complete awareness in half a heartbeat. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Sorry," I whispered. "I woke up hungry. I was just going to get a snack."

Ranger sat up and pushed his hair back. "That sounds good."

He rolled to his feet and headed for the bathroom. I climbed off the bed and started searching for my clothes. I couldn't find my underwear anywhere, and I even looked under the bed. Ranger came back wearing his sweatpants, and asked me what I was doing.

"My clothes seem to keep disappearing," I told him. "I'd like to have _something_ on while we eat."

His lips twitched. "I wouldn't mind if you didn't. There's a robe on the hooks in the bathroom."

He headed out the door toward the kitchen, turning on a lamp in the living room on the way. I looked around for another moment before getting up and going into the bathroom. I looked at the hooks where Ranger's robe usually hung, and next to it was a second robe in soft blue. I reached for it with a bemused smile.

It was my size, made of terrycloth thinner than Ranger's robe but super-soft inside and out. It felt like I was putting on a cloud.

I used the bathroom, washed my hands, and finger-combed my hair into a more tidy mess, then went to find Ranger.

He smiled when I walked into the kitchen fondling the robe's sleeve. The bowl of tuna salad was on the bar along with crackers and a plate of sliced cheeses. He was slicing a green apple.

I went to the fridge and looked for something to drink. I got out a bottle of water and found a can of Coke in the door. Ranger asked if there was any Corona, and I got a bottle out for him. We sat, our barstools pulled close together, and started in.

Ranger was eating sharp cheddar with the green apple, and I made a face. He laughed and coaxed me into trying it, but didn't seem to mind that I stuck to cheese and crackers after that. The tuna salad was good, too. Between us, we pretty much demolished it all.

I gathered the dishes to rinse and set in the sink. Ranger threw away the trash and wiped off the bar, then slipped his arms around me as I stood in front of the sink. His hands stroked the soft terry over my stomach.

"Do you like this?" he asked.

"The robe? Or your arms around me?" I asked lightly.

He chuckled. "Either. Both."

"Yes," I answered simply, and felt him chuckle.

I set the last dish into the sink and he reached around me to turn the water off. As soon as I dried my hands he turned me into his arms and pulled me close, just holding me. I sighed and slipped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his chest. Beneath my ear I could hear the reassuring rhythm of his heartbeat. A few minutes later he nudged my head back and found my mouth with his.

He tasted of beer and green apples and Ranger. I don't know how long we stood there, just kissing. I swayed against him as his hands traced the lines of my body through the terrycloth. My fingers tangled in his hair.

"Babe," he murmured against my lips. "Let's go back to bed."

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

I woke to feather-soft kisses… Ranger's lips brushed mine, trailed across my cheek and up around my eyebrow. His hand was warm, threaded through my hair at the side of my head. My lips curved and I pried my eyes open.

Ranger was lying next to me on top of the covers, propped on one elbow, watching me wake up with his barely-there smile. He smelled clean with the lingering scent of his shower gel…and he was dressed except for his shoes.

"Good morning, Babe," he said softly.

"Good morning," I answered, then frowned. "Why are you up? What time is it?"

Ranger's smile grew slightly. "I woke up early. I didn't want to wake you, so I went down to the gym for a little while. What time does your grandmother leave on her tour?"

I had to think for a moment. "They're supposed to meet the bus at the senior center on Olden at …. Ten-thirty. What time is it?"

"It's only eight. Do you want to see her off?"

"Yeah, I do. Do you mind?"

"No - as long as I can come, too. I'm looking forward to seeing her traveling outfit." He paused and his lips twitched. "We could give her a ride in the Towncar."

I narrowed my eyes at him but couldn't quite hide my grin at his teasing. He was referring to my short and unlovely career as a limo driver. "As long as I don't have to drive."

He chuckled. "We'll figure something out. While you're getting ready I'll see what I can come up with. And I still need to get my hair cut."

He moved, and I started climbing out of bed. "Who cuts your hair?" Somehow I couldn't picture him going into a salon.

"Usually Ella, although Hal's pretty good with scissors and he'll cut it if I ask. Even Tank has cut it a time or two."

I caught his belt-loop and stopped him from getting off the bed, getting his attention. He turned and looked at me with surprise.

"How short are you talking? No buzz-cuts, okay?"

He laughed and pulled me into his lap. "You like my hair long?"

I grinned and reached up, sinking my fingers into his hair and using it to pull his face to mine. "It's handy," I whispered, and kissed him.

I forgot I was naked. It was a good thing he woke me early, because one thing led to another it was half an hour before I made it to the shower.

I rushed through drying my hair and putting on make-up, then went into the closet to forage for clothes. I didn't have much - just what I'd left here in my rush to get home the Monday Ranger left. If I was going to spend much more time here I needed to at least go home and pack a few things. I put on the red Victoria's Secret set and pulled on same jeans I'd worn briefly to my parents' house. The little blue t-shirt was too thin - the red showed through. I left it on, though, while I got my shoes on. Maybe we'd have time to go by my apartment so I could change.

I heard the apartment door and started out, anxious to see Ranger's haircut. He met me at the bedroom doorway.

It was short. Not buzz-cut short, and not military-short -- it was long enough to cover part of his ears and brush his shirt collar in back. The front was brushed back but some had already slipped free to fall over his forehead, and now his waves were more apparent. It also emphasized his eyes…and made him, if possible, even more gorgeous.

Damn the man, this was _so_ not fair!

His hands caught me around the waist. "Does it look okay?" he asked.

I pretended to check, running the fingers of one hand through his hair just above his ear. "It looks really good," I admitted. "I like it."

"Good," he said. Then, hesitantly, he said, "Babe, I can see through that shirt."

I sighed. "I know, but I don't have much in the way of clothes here. Do you think we can run by my apartment so I can change?"

He checked his watch. "Yes, if we hurry. Would you call your grandma - or your mom - and tell her we'll be there to take them to the center? I'm going to change my shirt."

I collected my purse, phone, and jacket, then called Mom. "Hi, Mom. I know you're busy, but we're coming to give you a ride to the center so we can see Grandma off. Ranger is coming with me. He said he wants to see her off, too. Mom, can we talk about this later? We're short on time…. Okay. I will. Bye."

Ranger was back, now wearing jeans, a white button-front shirt, and his black leather bomber jacket. His diamond ear-studs winked from his ears. _Holy God_.

We headed down in the elevator, and I could barely tear my eyes away from him. So I caught the way his lips were twitching up at the corners before the doors opened to reveal a limo waiting in the garage. I was hustled inside before I even got my mouth all the way closed.

Tank was driving and Lester was riding shotgun up front, both dressed in RangeMan uniforms. I started giggling and Lester turned around, grinning.

"We decided your granny would like a big send-off," he said. "It'll give the other seniors something to talk about for the rest of the day."

Boy, would it ever!

We made a running trip to my apartment - I stripped off my shirt on the way into my bedroom, much to Ranger's amusement. I was really glad I'd been able to do a little shopping lately! I grabbed the sapphire-blue top I'd gotten on my solo trip to the mall and broke speed records buttoning it, which wasn't easy since the eight inches in the waist was smocked with elastic to fit snug. Tugging the elastic cuffs into place I turned to find Ranger holding out my new sweater jacket. A smile was tilting his lips.

"You've been shopping. Nice, Babe. You look wonderful."

We raced back to the limo, where I thanked him for the compliment, and we made it to Mom's right on time.

Grandma Mazur was waiting at the door, and she broke into a huge grin at the sight of the limo. She came outside wearing her bright red wool coat. New flare-leg jeans were on her legs, and she was wearing what looked like black suede hiking boots. Her blouse, her roomy new purse, and her lipstick matched her coat, which worked for her very nicely. Mom came out behind her carrying her own purse and pulling Grandma's rolling suitcase. She stopped in surprise when she saw the limo and the guys.

Tank stepped up and gently took the suitcase from her grip. "Nice to see you again, Miz. P., Miz Mazur. Ready to roll?"

"Yes…" she said weakly. Mom looked a little dazzled.

Lester stepped up and offered Grandma his hand to come down the steps, and he walked her to the limo. Mom was still standing there, but finally she focused on me.

"What's all this? I was expecting your Jeep."

"Ranger thought we ought to give Grandma a good send-off," I told her.

Ranger took her hand and guided her down the steps as if she were a VIP. I walked on her other side to the limo, and we got in. Grandma and Mom got the forward-facing seat, and Ranger and I took the smaller seat facing them. Grandma beamed at Ranger.

"This is some limo. It sure was nice of you to do this. I'll look like someone important, arriving in this!"

Ranger gave her a smile and I heard my mom's indrawn breath. She really hadn't been exposed to Gorgeous Ranger yet and was taken off guard. "You are important," he assured her. "You're Stephanie's grandmother."

She took her new phone out of her purse and showed it to Ranger, and told him her number. Ranger took his own phone out and dutifully put her in his phone book. He thrilled her by giving her one of his numbers. It was the office number for RangeMan, and I had to bite back a grin. Smart man.

The parking lot of the senior center was nearly full. The tour bus, a big shiny behemoth, was parked at one edge near the exit of the lot. The driver and male guide were loading luggage, and the female guide was checking off names on a clipboard, collecting tickets, and directing the loading of the passengers onto the bus.

I think Tank and Lester were having a good time playing at being Grandma's hired help. Tank got her suitcase out of the trunk while Lester handed Grandma out of the limo. Ranger slid out and helped Mom out, then me. Lester walked Grandma over to check in, Tank walking right behind them with the suitcase dangling from his hand like it weighed nothing. Ranger, Mom and I followed. Once she was checked in she patted Lester's arm and told him thanks then repeated the gesture with Tank, looking up at him with a grin. Mom and I got a hug, and she turned to Ranger and offered him one, too. I'm not sure which of us was more surprised when he took it, giving her a gentle hug and kissed her cheek lightly.

Grandma actually blushed, and she gave him a nod.

We watched her board and find her seat, and then she waved at us through the big window. She had a window seat, and looked like she was about to burst with excitement. A few minutes later everyone was loaded, the cargo bins closed, and the bus slowly pulled out of the lot.

Mom looked a little wilted as we headed back to the limo. I guess Ranger noticed, too, even though he hadn't been around my mom much. "Lunch, Babe?" he asked me in a voice so soft it didn't carry to her. I smiled at him and nodded.

As soon as we were moving again, Ranger spoke. "Stephanie and I were going to lunch, Mrs. Plum. Would you like to join us?"

Mom started to refuse, I could tell, and I headed her off. "Dad's not home, is he?" I knew he wasn't - he was out making plans for their week alone, although he'd told Mom there was something going on at the Lodge. "There's no sense in you eating alone at home."

She caved with good grace, and thanked Ranger for the invitation.

He took us to Rossini's, and as usual we didn't have to wait for a table. Tank and Lester bailed, heading down the street to a Chinese restaurant they liked and promising to be back before we were ready to leave. We had a nice lunch and Mom finally relaxed a bit more around Ranger. I was starving, and realized only then that I'd forgotten to eat breakfast. By the time we'd finished our desserts, Mom looked mellowed out.

Ranger nudged my leg under the table, then passed me an envelope. I frowned slightly and peered at it under the cover of the tablecloth while he asked Mom something about her dessert. I nearly gasped when I saw the logo. It was from the day-spa - Mom's gift certificate. But how? I was supposed to pay for it and pick it up this afternoon…

I shot Ranger a look. The corners of his eyes were crinkled and he wouldn't look at me. I reached over and laid my hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. His lips tipped up.

I had to clear my throat. It got my mom's attention, so I used it and smiled at her. "Mom, since you're going to have a little free time for a change, I - we - got something for you. I thought you might enjoy a little pampering." I handed her the envelope, and then reached for Ranger's hand under the table. He took it with a gentle squeeze, and held it against his thigh as we watched Mom open the envelope.

Her eyes got wide, her mouth dropped open a little, and her cheeks flushed pale pink. "Oh, my! I don't know what to say! Thank you, both of you."

"It was all Steph's doing," Ranger told her. "I just picked the certificate up so she could give it to you at lunch."

Mom beamed at me, and I gave Ranger's hand another squeeze.

We met up with the guys at the limo and drove Mom home in style. Ranger handed us out and I walked Mom to the door.

"Get a head start on your pampering, Mom, and indulge in a little nap this afternoon. Or a bubble bath or something. You deserve to enjoy your time off!"

She gave me a teary hug and thanked me again, and went inside. I climbed back into the seat with Ranger.

"Take us back to Steph's apartment," Ranger asked Tank. "Then you can take the limo back and take off. We'll have her Jeep."

"Yezzir, boss," Tank teased. Ranger smiled at me and pushed the button to raise the privacy screen. Just before it closed we heard Lester complain, "Oh, man, we never get to see the good stuff." Ranger laughed, and kissed me.

_**TBC…**_

_A/N: My poll closed (thank you, everyone who voted!) with 91 voting for me to continue the story a while. My ego and I are tickled to hear you like it that much! I'll do my best to keep it interesting…_


	40. Chapter 40

_Disclaimer: Does anyone read these? All characters except Yoshi and Max are property of Janet Evanovich and will be returned as good as new. Max and Yoshi are mine. _

_**Chapter 40**_

We spent the short ride to my building kissing, but the ride wasn't long enough to get us in much trouble. Which was probably a good thing with Tank and Lester up front!

Ranger was quiet on the way up to my apartment. It wasn't unusual for him to be quiet, but I gave his face a closer look as we went inside and realized he was tired. He seemed so normal this morning that I almost forgot he'd just gotten home from God-knows-what. When he started to veer toward the sofa on the way to my bedroom I caught his hand and tugged him along with me.

"If I'm going to stay with you at Haywood I need to get some clothes," I said when he gave me an inquiring look. I stopped, wondering if I was overstepping. "I mean, if you want me to…"

"I want you with me," he said simply before I could finish that thought, and gave me a small smile. "Although I don't mind if you don't have clothes."

My cheeks got a little warm but I couldn't help but smile back even as I rolled my eyes. "I might need them _occasionally_." I nudged him toward the bed. "Why don't you stretch out while I get things together?"

"I'm okay."

"Humor me," I coaxed. My lips curved as I gave him back one of his own lines. "I like to see you in my bed."

Ranger shook his head but his lips were quirked up as he stretched out on his back and adjusted a pillow so he could watch me. I actually hadn't been joking about liking to see him in my bed -- I always had. I just felt freer to admit it.

I opened my closet doors wide and began to go through it, taking my time making my choices. Each item I picked I pulled off the hangar and folded neatly, making small stacks on the edge of the bed. I tried to move fairly quietly, and my patience was rewarded when I turned to add a pair of jeans and found Ranger asleep.

Smiling to myself, I continued with my sorting, trying to keep from making any loud noises or move too suddenly. I probably wouldn't need much, actually, because Ella would probably wash things for me… I set out two nice pairs of jeans and one old pair, and a bunch of shirts and blouses including a few old things and all my new ones. I added the black wrap-look skirt I'd gotten on the shopping trip with Lula the day of my 'date' with Ranger, some black yoga pants, and the new slacks I'd just bought.

My underwear drawer tended to squeak so I opened it slowly, holding my breath. I picked out several good sets of underwear and a couple that were pretty rather that practical, and even added a sports bra. I made a pile of socks, set out a new pair of thigh-hi stockings and a couple pairs of pajamas…although they probably wouldn't get much use if things continued on their current course. And that thought had me smiling again as I went back to my closet for a couple pairs of shoes and my boots.

What else? I cast an eye on the piles and realized I was going to need my larger duffle bag. It was in the coat closet in the living room.

Heading for the closet I noticed a musty smell and detoured to the kitchen. Maybe I should make sure there wasn't anything going bad in the fridge and take out the garbage, otherwise my apartment might smell _really_ off when I came home…

Home. The thought startled me and made me stop and look around. My apartment looked empty and strange to me somehow, and not like home. When did that happen? _When Ranger came home…_ The seventh-floor apartment wasn't home, either, although I was comfortable there. No, my home was…_Ranger._

Strangely, the realization didn't frighten me even though he'd given me no hints or promises as to the future. My heart didn't need a guarantee, I guess. I was determined to just take it one day at a time and enjoy whatever time I had with him. It was enough.

While that little earthshaking revelation was still sinking in I continued on my way into the kitchen. I emptied the expired items from the fridge, dumping the milk down the drain and running water to wash it away. I made a quick trip to make sure there wasn't any trash in the bathroom and then tied up the trash bag, putting it near the door so I wouldn't forget it, before finally digging out the duffel bag.

I unzipped the bag in the living room because the zipper was metal and loud and to make sure the bag was clean and empty. My pitiful collection of DVD movies caught my eye as I stood, and I grabbed them and stuffed them into one of the duffel's end pockets.

It would be easier to pack the clothes in the duffel if it was on the sofa, I decided, so I put the open bag there and made a few trips to carry my chosen wardrobe to the living room. Packed neatly, there was plenty of room left for my computer with space left over. I even remembered to pack some tampons, because unfortunately it was almost that time. Thanks to the birth-control shots, though, my periods were blissfully short.

The light was fading by the time I zipped the bag and stood up straight. It wasn't late but it was nearly December and days were getting short. It was probably only because of the dim light that I noticed my phone flashing.

I'd missed a couple of calls, and had a voicemail. I'd forgotten to turn my ringer back on.

I called voicemail and the message was Connie's voice, reminding me I still had an outstanding skip. I still had a few days, she said, but she'd heard Ranger was back and thought I might have forgotten about Peabody Schmidt. Crap! I had, actually. I looked for his file and found it on my table under some junk-mail. I stuck the folder with my bag and made a mental note to get my mail before we left, too.

It was a little after five. Connie would have already gone home, so I'd call her back tomorrow.

I wondered if I should wake Ranger, but decided to put if off and call Mom first, see if she'd done anything fun this afternoon. Before I could open my phone, though, it rang. It was Mom.

"Stephanie, it's your mother. I just wanted to call and tell you, in case you were thinking about coming to dinner -- we aren't going to be home. Frank is taking me to Pino's to eat." Mom sounded like she was trying _not_ to sound excited, and failing. I had to smile. I couldn't remember the last time my parents went out to eat.

"That sounds like fun, Mom. Enjoy yourself."

"Um… Stephanie? What do people wear to Pino's for dinner?"

Ah-ha! The real reason she called! I had to bite my lip to keep from chuckling. "It's pretty casual now, Mom. Jeans are okay, or a pantsuit or even a dress, just not too dressy. You'll see a little bit of everything there."

"Okay," she said, and she sounded relieved. "Thank you. And Stephaine? I'm really looking forward to tomorrow."

"Good, I hope you enjoy yourself. Go all out and let them take care of you. You deserve a break. Have fun tonight!"

I hung up, smiling. Time to wake Ranger.

It probably wouldn't be a good idea to touch Ranger to wake him. Deciding to play it safe, I went to the other side of the bed and carefully sat down facing him. He looked relaxed but even as I watched him he stirred. His eyes met mine as soon as they opened and he blinked.

"Babe. How long was I asleep? It's getting dark."

"Not that long, it's just after five," I said with a smile. "I only finished getting things together about five minutes ago."

He smiled and sat up, giving me a quick kiss before rolling to his feet and saying words that made my heart jump. "Let's go home."

I followed him out of the bedroom. He picked up my duffle and I grabbed my purse and keys. He would have picked up the garbage bag, too, but I beat him to it - it wasn't that big. We paused in the lobby long enough for me to empty my mailbox, separate the junk-mail and tuck the real stuff in my purse. We went out to my Jeep and I tossed the trash into the dumpster in the next space. Ranger took my keys and unlocked the Jeep, sitting the duffel on the back seat and opening the driver's door for me before going around and climbing in.

The radio came on with the engine, and I reached to turn it down before it could blast us. Ranger was quiet. A smile kept creeping up on me and finally Ranger asked about it.

"It's just been a really good day," I told him with another smile. "And a big part of it was your doing. Grandma loved her send-off and Mom had a good time at lunch even before she got her spa certificate - which I can pay you back for, by the way." He made a sound and I went on, not giving him a chance to interrupt, "I've got clean clothes again, _**and**_ I got to watch you sleep in my bed. All in all, a very good day."

"Babe," he said, and his voice was amused. "It isn't over yet."

That sounded almost like a promise, and gave me a pleasant shiver.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

I parked in the garage slot that always seemed to be empty for me, and we went up to seven in comfortable silence. Ranger let us in and carried my duffel to the bedroom and into the closet. I followed him but he caught me by the waist and backed me back into the bedroom.

"You can unpack later. I'm hungry; does anything sound good for dinner?"

I didn't really want to go out again. "We could check the refrigerator," I suggested. Before he could reply the intercom line rang, and he moved to answer it. A moment later he looked at me.

"Some of the men are having dinner downstairs - pizza, pasta, and salad. We're invited - would you like to eat with them in the break room?"

"It sounds good, if it's okay with you."

He flashed me a smile and told whoever was on the phone that we'd be down in just a few minutes.

As soon as he hung up the phone he shrugged his bomber jacket off, tossed it on the bed, and stretched. "I'm going to put on a t-shirt," he said, already unbuttoning his now-wrinkled white one. I turned to watch him go back in the closet, peeling his shirt off as he went. His bruises were fading pretty fast, thank goodness, and he no longer moved like things hurt.

I looked down at myself and decided I looked okay. I was hungry but not starving and it would be nice to spend a little time with the guys.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

I guess the dinner was because of a Monday Night Football game due to start a little later, and a bunch of the guys were going to watch it in Tank's apartment. They'd brought in the food and set it up in the break room so they guys on shift could eat, too - the off-duty men covering while they ate. Tank was going to record the game for them to watch later, too.

Ranger and I arrived just as everyone was filling their plates from the food on the counter and finding seats. There were soft drinks, and beer available for the ones who were off-duty. A cheer went up for Ranger as we entered, and teasing about his haircut promptly followed. Several of the guys called cheerful greetings to me. An already-filled plate was handed to me and Lester pulled out a chair. Ranger was similarly waited on and took the seat next to me, his plate half full of salad.

We ate and talked and let the cheerful conversations go on all around us. I got up to get another spoonful of pasta and ended up waiting on half the guys while I was up, passing out slices of pizza and getting more beer. When kickoff time neared the guys did cleanup as a group and the break room was clean in very short order. As they headed down to Tank's apartment they called good-night to us and the guys on monitors.

Ranger was leaning back in his chair nursing his second beer, a faint smile on his lips. I smiled, watching him, and he turned his head toward me and quirked one eyebrow up.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked curiously. "You look kind of…bemused."

"I guess I am."

"How come?"

"They've never done this before," he said, gesturing vaguely with his other hand.

"What? Had dinner together?"

Ranger shook his head slightly. "Not here. Not all of them at once."

"Really?" I was surprised - they guys all seemed to be friendly to each other when I was around them, and usually friends did things together occasionally. "What's changed?"

"You." He answered, then smiled at my surprised look. "It has to be you. These men have known each other for years, worked well together, but they didn't socialize. Not until you came into our lives."

"What did I do?"

Ranger stood and pulled me to my feet, his arms going around me. "Babe, I think you turned us into a family - or something close to it."

I gave him a wary look. "Is that good or bad?"

"I didn't come back to any problems this time," he said with a chuckle, "so I'd say that it's good. All I've got is some paperwork to catch up on."

"Oh. Okay."

"Do you want to go watch the football game?" he asked, changing the subject from the one making me uncomfortable. "We could go by Tank's for a while."

"No, thanks anyway," I said. "I'm kind of tired and I've got a few things I need to do tomorrow. You can go if you want, I don't mind."

"You're sure?"

"Really. I can unpack my clothes and figure out tomorrow's schedule, and go to bed early."

"Okay. If you need anything you can call my cell, or Tank's intercom, number 401. Or you can call Ella. I probably won't stay for the whole game."

I grinned at him. "Don't worry about it, have fun!"

We walked together down the hall then he took the stairs down to the fourth floor and I went back up to the seventh, letting myself in. I made my way into the bedroom and kicked off my shoes, carrying them with me into the closet.

It didn't take as long to unpack as it had to pack, and there was no shortage of space in Ranger's closet. I hung up my nicer clothes, put the folded jeans and t-shirts on a shelf, and dumped my underwear and socks in the drawer that already held what I'd left here before. My shoes went on the rack at the end.

Yawning, I took a tank-and-shorts pajama set into the bathroom with me. I took off my make-up, pinned my hair up, and took a quick shower before slipping into the PJs. I climbed into bed with my little notebook, planning to schedule out the next day, but I didn't get far. In less than half an hour I was asleep.

_**TBC…**_


	41. Chapter 41

_**Disclaimer: Still not mine, but right now they don't care.**_

_A/N: This one is short and I hope no one is too disappointed. Ranger made me do it…_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 41**_

It registered in the back of my brain when the bed dipped slightly, but I didn't really wake until I felt Ranger's arms slip around me and his body align itself to mine. I smiled without moving or opening my eyes, but the smell of Bulgari shower gel teased my nose. He had showered…

I stirred, wondering if it was already morning. It took a little effort to pry my eyes open. It was still dark.

"Ranger? Is it time to get up?" I asked sleepily.

"Shh, Babe, it's only eleven. Go back to sleep," he said softly.

"How come you took a shower?" I persisted, my curiosity awakened.

He sighed but he sounded amused. "I had to. Lester and Woody got a little carried away over a touchdown and spilled beer all over -- me, Bobby, and Tank's sofa."

I snickered at the mental picture and snuggled back against him, and felt him hard against me.

He pushed up on his elbow behind me. "Babe," he said softly, slipping one hand under my tank and stroking upwards, "I wasn't going to wake you…but since you are…"

Warm fingers curled around my breast and his thumb brushed gently across my nipple, teasing it to attention and making me draw a quick breath. I raised my arm and reached backwards to tangle my fingers in his hair. As soon as I turned my face towards him his lips found mine. I opened to him, coaxing, inviting him inside. His tongue thrust deep and the low growl that came from his throat sent liquid heat straight between my legs.

He eased me onto my back without breaking the kiss and one hard thigh slid up between mine. I moaned and shifted, trying to get closer, trying to get my arms around him. Somehow I managed to get tangled in his attempt to push my tank up and off, and our kiss dissolved into soft laughter.

"You're wearing too many clothes, _miel_," he murmured. "Was that a hint?"

I raised my arms as he tugged my top off, smiling at him even though it was probably too dark for him to see. "No, it just feels weird to go to bed naked by myself--" I started to explain, but he stopped my words with his lips against mine.

"Then it's easy to fix," he whispered, and kissed me again, slow and deep.

My brain turned to mush and my body melted like wax. Clever fingers found my nipples and teased and tugged until my whole body was quivering on the edge. Then his mouth took over and his fingers moved down…

My shorts and underwear slipped down and away with my eager cooperation, and my legs opened to his touch. His hand slowly stroked up and down my thighs before moving to my center, his fingers gentle, his touch light. When he found me wet for him he groaned, and I felt it vibrate against my breast and echo to my core.

Breath was catching in my throat when he moved down, slipping between my legs and pushing them wide, opening me for his play. I felt his breath against my most sensitive skin and couldn't stop the helpless sounds escaping from me.

"_Deseo probarle"_ he whispered, then his mouth closed over me and I cried out, arching against him until his hands pinned me to the bed.

He stroked me with his tongue, gently at first, gradually becoming more forceful. Then his lips closed over my clit and I lost my mind.

My legs were trembling and my breath came in ragged gasps some time later when he finally began to work his way back up my body. He paused to soothe my aching breasts with his lips. Then I felt his tip against me and clutched at his shoulders as he slowly pushed into my throbbing body, letting me feel every hard inch as it slid inside. I writhed, trying to take him deeper.

"_Dios_, Steph," he gasped, and then he began to thrust slowly, pulling nearly all the way out before pushing back in. I came on his third deep thrust. He paused, pressed deep, until I could breathe and then he started again, one hand fisted in my hair. I kissed his shoulder, his neck, as my body moved with his, meeting him thrust for thrust.

My body tightened. This time he didn't slow for my orgasm, instead he increased his speed and pounded into me hard and fast, over and over -- until I screamed and came apart. He followed me over, thrusting hard to spill himself deep inside me.

I was shaking. It took me a few minutes to come back to myself, and I was shaking like a leaf. My heart pounded in my ears. Aftershocks quivered in the soft flesh that still cradled Ranger's body and I heard him groan, swearing in Spanish, and grind his hips into mine helplessly.

A moment later he pushed himself off me. His hand touched my face gently, brushing back my damp curls with fingers that trembled slightly.

His voice was rough with concern. "Steph? Babe, are you okay?"

I couldn't speak, could only nod, my breathing still ragged. Ranger turned us onto our sides and cradled me against him, stroking me gently until finally my heartbeat and breathing slowed, and I slept.

_**TBC…**_


	42. Chapter 42

_**Disclaimer: All characters from the books are property of JE and are used without permission. Max, Yoshi, and other characters that pop in are mine, along with the so-called plot.**_

_A/N: See, I told you I was still working on it! I do my best not to leave you hanging too long, I promise._

_**Chapter 42**_

Ranger was missing when I woke up but according to the clock it was still early. He'd gone down to the gym yesterday, so that was probably where he was this morning, too. I thought about going back to sleep but I knew I had things I needed to get done today. An early start wouldn't hurt.

I rolled over onto my back and stretched - then giggled because once again my clothes were missing. Maybe I should give up and just bring the wonderful new robe to bed. I could leave it close enough to grab and I wouldn't have to search the floor for what I'd tried to sleep in. I'd think about it.

Sore muscles and tender bits were getting to be a normal thing too, I reflected as I rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom. But I was certainly not going to complain about that!

I brushed my teeth and got in the shower, letting my mind go over my to-do list while I shampooed and conditioned and shaved. I was nearly done when the door opened and Ranger stepped into the shower with me.

"Babe, I didn't expect you up this early," he said with a smile.

His hair was damp with sweat and he looked a little flushed, like he'd been working out hard and enjoying it. I turned my face up for his kiss and his arms went around me to hold me close. For several long minutes I let myself melt against him, then drew back reluctantly.

"You may not have much hot water left," I apologized. "I've been in here for a while." I stepped behind him and used my bath puff to wash his back. He made that masculine pleasure sound that curls my toes and let his head hang, letting me do what I wanted.

The bruises on his shoulder were faded to green and yellow - ugly, but almost healed. The ones along his ribs were almost gone. He was still a little thinner than normal but his ribs were no longer prominent. I was a little surprised how fast he healed but I was damned glad he seemed to be almost back to normal.

I was tempted to let my hands wander but I knew exactly where that would lead, and the water was already growing tepid. I gave him another kiss and scooted out to dry off and pull on the robe.

I dried most of the water out of my hair and pulled the top back in a tie, leaving the rest down. It looked less tom-boyish than a plain pony-tail and had the advantage of keeping my neck covered and warmer in the chill of the almost-winter air. Minimal make-up except for two coats of mascara, and a quick spritz of Dolce Vida, and I left the bathroom to Ranger and went to find clothes.

With my underwear and a pair of my nicer jeans on, I was deciding on a shirt when Ranger came into the closet wearing only a towel. His hair was brushed back but still slightly damp, and that one wavy lock persisted in slipping down over his forehead. It made him look drop-dead sexy but I wondered if it bugged him -- it wouldn't last long if it did.

I decided on a long-sleeve plain t-shirt in a pretty soft purple and pulled it on while watching Ranger out of the corner of my eye. He started to reach for his cargos and then hesitated.

"What's on your schedule today, Babe?" he asked.

"Well, I've got one outstanding skip and I haven't checked for new files for several days. I'd like to check in on my mom, maybe take her to lunch. I also need to check in with my dad." What else, what was I forgetting? I wondered where my notebook went. Maybe I should try using the scheduler in my phone - I usually managed to keep track of it.

He picked up the cargos and pulled them on. "Want any help with the skip?"

"I don't know yet. He's an old fart so Lula and I ought to be able to handle him, but I'll call if I do need help. What are you planning to do?"

"Do some paperwork, I guess. I've got stacks waiting for me so I might as well get started. I don't plan to work a full day, though."

"Good." I flashed him a cheeky grin. "Is it okay if I call, even if it's for no reason?"

"Babe, you can always call me. Anytime."

I put on some shoes and went to look for my notebook, finding it just under the edge of the bed where I'd gone to sleep. I carried it with me into the kitchen. Ranger came in a moment later.

"Did you already eat breakfast?" I asked from the fridge.

"Not yet. Would you like something from Ella?"

"I don't think so; not today." Actually I would, but I felt like I'd been eating too much lately. So far there was no roll of fat threatening to hang over my jeans and I wanted to keep it that way. I pulled a cup of non-fat sugar-free yogurt out of the fridge.

I caught the lip-twitch Ranger tried to hide but he didn't say anything. He pulled two bowls and a small box of granola from the cabinet and pulled a banana from the bowl on the counter. I watched as he peeled and sliced half the banana into each bowl, then pulled another yogurt from the fridge. He dumped it over the banana and topped it with about a half a cup of cereal, then stuck a spoon in it, slid it in front of me, and took my yogurt.

I raised my eyebrows at him and tried for a pissy look but couldn't quite pull it off. He just shook his head and smiled.

"Just try it," he said, and fixed the second bowl for himself.

I poked it and stirred it a little, then reluctantly took a bite…and damn if it wasn't pretty good. It was like eating a banana nut sundae minus the brain freeze.

I waited for Ranger to smirk, but he didn't. He just turned the coffee pot on and picked up his own bowl.

By the time I'd finished my breakfast sundae (I refused to think of it as healthy food) and had two cups of coffee I was feeling pretty ready for my day. Ranger put the bowls in the sink and gave me another kiss before he headed downstairs.

I poured the last of the coffee into my cup and sat down with my notebook and a pen. I tore out the last list I made, crossed off all the 'done' stuff, and started a new list.

Several of my 'to-do's wouldn't take very long, and if I got them out of the way first it would give me more time for the others.

First I needed to go by the office and check for new files and make sure how long I had to get Peabody. Next I'd go check on my mom, make sure she was enjoying herself, and pick up the gift certificates for Valerie's Christmas present.

I needed to locate Peabody.

I wanted to get some new hair-ties and things.

And last but not least, I wanted to visit an old friend who worked at the library. I hadn't forgotten my conversation with Lester about meeting single women.

I put my cup in the sink and made sure the coffeepot was off. Then I rounded up my jacket and phone, made sure my purse was loaded - including my notebook - and grabbed my keys on the way out of the door.

A group of the guys got on the elevator at the fifth floor, three heading home after their shift, and two going to scout some FTA hangouts. I gave them all a finger wave as I headed for my Jeep.

Connie was still yawning when I got to the office. I still had three days to get Peabody, and the only new file she had was Mooner. Lula wasn't in yet. I told Connie to offer Mooner to Lula, and have Lula call me if she wanted help. Mooner was never any trouble as long as you were patient enough to wait until whatever TV show he was wrapped up in was over. Except, of course, for the time he accidentally set my car on fire.

I called my parents' house next, and for the first time in years I wondered if anyone was home. Dad answered after five rings.

He'd just gotten back from dropping my mom off at the day-spa, he said. If I wanted to stop by he'd show me his plans for the week.

It was strange not to see Mom and Grandma at the door when I pulled to the curb. I guess the talent was a women-only thing.

"Good morning, pumpkin," Dad called from the kitchen. I went in and found him at the table with coffee and a small bakery sack.

"I got a couple of donuts," he said. "Would you like to join me?"

I got a small glass of milk and took half a donut, more to keep my dad company than because of hunger. I took a bite and waited for him to talk. He took a drink of his coffee before he spoke.

"We ate at Pino's last night," he started. "I can't remember the last time we went out to eat, and we had a good time. Tonight I'm ordering in from that Chinese place you told me about that delivers. Wednesday I want to take your mom to Atlantic City for a few days. She used to like to do a little shopping up there, and play a few slots or something. It's too cold to go to the beach, but I'm not sure either one of us would enjoy that very much anymore anyway."

Wow, Dad had been busy. "Grandma doesn't get back until next Monday, Dad," I teased gently. "What are you going to do all weekend?"

"Whatever you mom wants," he said promptly, and I had to laugh.

"Even if she wants to go to the mall?" I asked.

"Sure."

I grinned. Mom wasn't the only person that was enjoying this break. Before I could tease Dad any more, though, my cell rang. It was Grandma.

"Hi, Grandma!" I answered.

She was on the bus; I could hear the hum of the engine in the background. "Stephanie, this is great," she started out. "We spent the night in Philadelphia last night after we saw the local sights, and this morning I'm pretty sure we're headed south. I tried to call Ellen and Frank a little bit ago but didn't get any answer. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Grandma. Mom is out right now but I'm here talking to Dad. Do you want to talk to him?"

"No, that's okay. I was just surprised that no one answered, and wanted to make sure no one got hurt or anything."

"No, I would have called you. Are you carrying your phone in your purse? Can you hear it ring okay?"

"Oh, sure. It's pretty loud for a little thing. Well, I gotta go. Tell that good-lookin' bounty hunter friend of yours I got a lot of attention from showing up in a limo." She laughed. "Tell him thanks for me, and the other two boys, too."

"Okay, Grandma, I will. You can call me anytime. Have fun!"

We hung up and I relayed the message to Dad so he could tell Mom that Grandma had checked in before I headed out again.

Destination VFW - and Peabody Schmidt.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	43. Chapter 43

_**Disclaimer: The characters from the books don't belong to me, but I'm keeping them busy until JE needs them again. **_

_A/N: I'm going to lose my mind trying to go back and forth between stories, but neither one of them will leave me alone! Will you all visit me in the psych ward?!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 43**_

I was afraid it would be too early for the VFW, but the lights were on and one door was propped open despite the chill. Someone was inside.

The street and the lot were both empty, but I went around the block to park the Jeep anyway. The door was still open when I walked back up the alley. Music was playing on the jukebox and a man with salt-n-pepper hair was mopping the floor. It didn't look like anyone else was there, and he didn't seem to notice me.

I looked around at the dingy paneled walls and the scattered tables and chairs. There wasn't much, and most of it looked to be in sad shape. But I got lucky and found a bulletin board near the door that had a notice for a free dinner tonight, starting at four o'clock and running through seven. Kind of early, but older folks seemed to like to eat early, even when like Grandma they also stayed up late. Anyway, I felt fairly certain Peabody would show up for free food. His file sounded like he was short on cash. I'd come back after four.

Walking back to the Jeep I mentally reviewed my list and decided to go ahead and check on Mom. I headed for the salon.

Mom was in a room in the back, and smiled when the attendant opened the door.

She was wearing a thin soft pink robe, sitting in a chair that looked like a recliner. It hummed, though, and after a moment I realized it was a massage chair. At the foot there was a miniature Jacuzzi tub, with bubbles and everything, and Mom's feet dangled in the water. Her hair was mostly hidden by a fabric turban, but I could see plastic peeking out from under it. And her face was covered with green slimy-looking goo.

When the door clicked shut her eyes popped open, and she gave me a huge grin.

"Stephanie, this is wonderful! I wish I had one of these chairs, I'd probably sleep in it!"

I laughed. "I don't think Dad would like that. I take it you're having a good time so far?"

"Oh, yes. They're treating me like a queen here today, and they said I can have anything I want for lunch. This must have cost a fortune."

"Not that much, Mom," I said, wondering if Ranger had added to my original gift. "and like I said, I'm doing pretty good with skips lately, and with part-time work for RangeMan. I just wanted to give you a treat."

When a tech came in to do Mom's hands and nails I left, promising to talk to her again soon. I picked up Valerie's certificates and paid for them, zipping the little envelope into the inside pocket of my purse for safekeeping.

I was close to Quaker Bridge, so I made a stop at the mall and visited the accessory stores. I bought a new package of no-pull hair ties, a package of giant hairpins, a pair of hair sticks - they looked like fancy chopsticks to me - and an assortment of barrettes. Their earrings were on sale buy two cards and get one free, so I indulged in a few new sparkly sets. One set was long and dangly but the others were a little more sedate. I paid for my purchases, tucked the bag inside my purse, and left. I didn't even look at shoes.

Next stop, the Trenton Public Library main branch. I threaded my way through the hushed maze of shelves and the occasional person until I found the reference section, and Elsie.

Elsie Jones had been my college roommate for one semester my junior year, after my previous roommate dropped out of school. Elsie was a freshman, just starting mid-year, and as green as they came. Which was less surprising when I found out she was only sixteen.

Helping Elsie feel at ease was probably the only thing I accomplished at college that I was ever proud of. My grades were good but mediocre, and I was never a huge party girl, but I knew my way around and knew who everyone was. I shared all my knowledge, especially about which teachers and frat guys to avoid at all costs. I helped her dress to fit in but not draw too much male attention, and even served as double date/chaperone a few times. Mostly we just became good friends.

After college, I came home and married the Dick, and well, you know how that worked out. Elsie went on to grad school and got a string of degrees. Last year she'd moved back to Trenton to be close to her folks. Her mother had arthritis, and sometimes needed help. I'd run into her at the mall Christmas shopping, and we'd traded addresses and phone numbers, but we hadn't gotten together yet. I was looking forward to catching up.

I spotted Elsie through a glass wall, and stopped to watch her scan through a book four inches thick, find what she wanted, and turn to type into a computer. And wondered again why she was still single.

She was about five years younger than me… so that made her around twenty-seven. She was pretty, too, in a quiet sort of way, and I knew it wasn't because she liked girls. We'd talked too many nights about men and sex.

Shorter than me by a couple of inches, and curvy in the right places, even now she didn't dress to attract male attention. But I suspected the right guy would see her for the gem she was. Her hair, still the color of honey, was wrapped and pinned into a bun on the back of her head, but strands straggled out. A pencil was stuck into one side, I supposed to keep it handy. Her simple dress had no pockets.

I stepped back a little and flipped open my phone. It was nearly noon, and I decided to see if Elsie wanted to go to lunch. I pressed speed-dial, and smiled when Ranger answered "Yo."

"Yo, yourself."

"Babe." I heard a smile in the simple word, and my own grew. I heard paper shuffle, then the click of computer keys. "Going to check out a book?"

"I don't know, can you recommend a good one?"

He chuckled low. "I already have a copy of the Kama Sutra," he teased, and I felt myself blush. I had to take a deep breath to continue but he spoke before I could. "What are you up to at the library?"

"One of my college roommates works here, actually. I was thinking of her the other day and decided to stop and say hi, maybe take her to lunch. Did you have other plans?"

"Nothing that won't keep. Enjoy lunch with your friend. Any luck with your skip?"

"Not yet, but I'm pretty sure where he'll be after four. I'll check back on him then."

"Ok." But he didn't hang up.

"Are you still doing paperwork?" I asked curiously. Ranger didn't usually talk on the phone more than a few sentences at a time.

"Yes, and I've actually made a dent in it if only a small one."

"Well, go get Ella to bring you lunch - or better yet, go eat with some of the guys. I'll come back between lunch and checking on my skip."

"I'll look forward to that."

I grinned again. He must really be bored. "See you soon."

"Babe," he said, then he hung up.

I stood grinning at the bookcase in front of me for nearly a full minute before I remembered what I was doing. I headed back to the little glass office and stuck my head in the door.

"Hey, little girl. Want to go eat lunch with your long-lost roommate?"

Elsie looked up in surprise, and her eyes got big. "Stephanie? Oh, heavens, I can't believe you're here," she said, leaning back in her chair. "You look really good in person. I haven't seen you on the front page for a while, though."

"Yes, well, I'm not holding my breath that it will continue, but right now my life is pretty quiet. So, what do you say? Do you get a lunch break?"

She did, and after a brief discussion we went to a sandwich shop nearby that she liked. Inside it was clean but shabby, and the old woman at the counter fussed at her good-naturedly as she made our sandwiches. Elsie was evidently a regular and much-liked customer.

"So, give me the lowdown on your life," I said as we settled at a small table. "How do you like your job, where are you living, are you seeing anyone? And why haven't you called me?"

"Slow down," she laughed. "Last question first - I did call you once, in January I think. A grumpy-sounding man answered, and I hung up. I was chicken to call again."

January? "Oh, that was probably Joe."

"Joe? As in Joe Morelli, the guy who---"

"Yeah, that Joe," I cut her off with a laugh. She'd heard the stories of our early misadventures. "He's a cop now, I guess you know that. We dated off and on for the last few years, but we broke up - probably late January or early February. He works a lot of late nights and if he sounded really grumpy, the phone probably woke him."

"You broke up? His idea or yours?"

Leave it to Elsie to get right into the hard questions. "His idea, but it was kind of mutual. We both knew we didn't want the same things, but he was the one who realized we should call it quits. We're still friends, though. Now it's your turn, so spill."

She had a small apartment near the library, and not far from her parents. She liked her work for the most part but sometimes felt like the research she did was useless. She'd gone on a few dates since she'd moved back to Trenton but wasn't seeing anyone at the moment.

"I don't go anywhere to meet people," she explained with a shrug. "Not many single men under fifty come into the library, and if they do they don't come to the research and reference section. I've never been comfortable going to bars alone and not many of my friends are single or nearby, so… So what about you? Are you seeing anyone?"

I couldn't keep the smile from taking over my face, and Elsie grinned.

"You are! Who is it? Anyone I'd know?"

"His name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso, but he's called Ranger most of the time." My Spanish lessons had helped, and now I pronounced the 'r's in Ranger's name the right way.

"Ranger?" she repeated, then her eyebrows went up. "As in RangeMan Security? That Carlos Manoso?"

"You know him?" I asked in surprise.

Elsie was shaking her head. "Don't know him, but know _of_ him. I've been researching security companies for the library, and there was an article in the paper last year about RangeMan Security stopping a robbery at one of the big jewelry supply houses. There was a mention of the company owner, and some photos of the robbery scene. There was a bunch of _built_ men in black uniforms in one picture but not one single full face showed."

I nodded, not at all surprised. "That's RangeMan. They're not real big on publicity."

She gave me a look with narrowed eyes. "I seem to remember seeing a man in black in a couple of your photos, too. Dark hair, pony tail?"

I nodded. "That's Ranger, although he recently lost the pony tail. For now, anyway."

"So you've known him for a while? How did you meet?"

I gave her the cliff-notes version, much edited, but it still took until we'd finished eating.

There was a brief squabble over the bill, but Elsie insisted. "Listen, I dined out lots of times on you whenever you were in the paper. The guys I knew didn't think you were real, and when they found out I knew you, and you were once my roommate, I had a lot of offers of dinner for stories." I felt my face heat and she laughed. "I should get some pictures of us together sometime that I can e-mail to them and prove I really do know you!"

It was a perfect opening. "Well, call me anytime. We can get together, maybe go out and have a drink or something."

"Oh, I just thought of something," she said. "The library is having a fund-raiser for the new wing….when is it?...Friday after next. It's kind of a dinner-dance thing. Would you like to come? I think I can get you tickets."

"Sounds like fun," I said with a smile. "Call me with the details and the ticket prices, okay? I may bring some friends."

I dropped her back at the library and headed for Ranger's apartment with a smug smile on my face. Elsie wasn't going to know what hit her. Now I just had to prepare her to meet the guys.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

I took the elevator up to the fifth floor and went to Ranger's office, greeting and joking with the guys I met on the way. Ranger was more than ready for a break from his paperwork, so I borrowed him and took him upstairs with me.

Just inside the apartment door Ranger caught me close and gave me a kiss that nearly liquefied my bones. He smiled down at me while I was still recovering.

"What did you cook up over lunch, Babe? You've got that look that says you're planning something."

"How would you like to go to a fundraiser for the library with me?"

"When, where, and how much?" he asked, still smiling.

"Friday after next, and I don't know yet."

"I might be convinced…" he said, and he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.

Oh, yeah…he was feeling _much_ better!

_**TBC…**_


	44. Chapter 44

_**Disclaimer: Only Yoshi, Max, and Elsie (so far) and the story itself to me. All the really cool characters belong to JE and are being borrowed without permission. I'll return them one of these days…**_

_A/N: I think I wore my Muse out…_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_"How would you like to go to a fundraiser for the library with me?"_

_"When, where, and how much?" he asked, still smiling._

_"Friday after next, and I don't know yet."_

_"I might be convinced…" he said, and he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom._

_Oh, yeah…he was feeling much better!_

_**Chapter 44**_

Evidently he was feeling a little mischievous, too.

Fifteen minutes after he'd tossed me on the bed, he had me naked and pinned beneath him on the soft sheets… and he wanted to play 'let's make a deal'!

This was _so_ not good. My negotiating skills weren't up to Ranger's standards at the best of times, and with my brain turning to mush I was seriously handicapped.

"Can we talk about this later?" I asked breathlessly, trying to pull him down to me. He captured my wrists and pinned them gently with easy strength, making another shiver of arousal run through me.

"It's not complicated, Babe. I'm just talking about a simple trade. Tit for tat," he murmured, bending his head to drag his tongue over my hard nipple. I moaned and struggled against his hold, no longer sure if I was trying to push him away or pull him close, but I only succeeded in making myself crazier.

I forced myself to lie still and tried to focus, not easy when his lips continued to explore. "What--What was the deal again?"

"I'll go to the fundraiser," he said, smiling at me with his heartbreaker smile, "if you'll come to the retirement ceremony with me."

Was that all? Didn't he know he only had to ask? Wait, what was the catch? There had to be a catch if he was resorting to a deal, right? But I couldn't think with his teeth nipping down my jaw, my neck… And it didn't matter anyway. I'd go anywhere with him, anytime.

"Okay, I'll come with you."

Ranger stilled against me, his mouth pressed to my neck, and I thought I heard a faint groan. But a heartbeat later he raised his head, and his hands released my wrists and slid up to entwine his fingers with mine.

"Say that again," he ordered huskily.

"Okay," I repeated.

"The other part."

What? I looked up and found his face tight, his eyes glittering like obsidian. Oh…!

"I'll come with you," I said, and my voice was low and breathy. I felt his body tighten against mine.

"Oh, God," he whispered, "Say it again."

"I'll c-come with--"

He thrust deep, hard and fast, and set me off like a bottle rocket. A few moments later I was I was in the stratosphere and fighting for breath but I could tell he was close. "Come for me!" I gasped against his neck, and set my teeth into the corded muscle where neck met shoulder. He lost it, driving into me and crying out with the force of his release. I came so hard I saw stars.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

When I floated back down to earth I was cradled against Ranger's chest. One of his hands was threaded through my hair, and the other was running his fingertips up and down my arm where it lay limp on his chest.

"Um?" was all I could manage. Beneath my ear Ranger's heart was still beating fast.

"Babe? You okay?" His voice was soft as if he was still a little out of it, too.

"Um-hm. Mm okay." I felt his chest vibrate with his silent laughter.

"You're a dangerous woman," he whispered.

I dozed off listening to his heart beating, and didn't wake until I heard my phone start making obnoxious alarm-clock noises from the pocket of my jeans somewhere on the floor.

I tried to untangle myself but Ranger just sat up with me.

"What's the alarm for?" he asked. His voice was still husky; he must have slept, too.

"It's three-thirty. I'm pretty sure my skip will show up at a free dinner at the VFW that starts at four, so I want to make sure I'm there by then. I'm about out of time because I forgot all about him. I've got to get going."

Ranger got out of bed, too, and found his pants. "Want a driver? I could tag along."

"Sure, but I need to call Lula, too. She gets cranky if I don't."

I grabbed up my clothes and ran into the bathroom to do a quick clean-up. I dressed, pulled my hair into a pony-tail, and went back to find my shoes. Ranger was getting his guns from the safe in the closet, and it reminded me.

"Friday, when you got home…I unpacked your bag, I hope that was okay. It was kind of a nosy thing to do."

He smiled. "Not that nosy. You didn't open the envelope."

"No…it was sealed. I'm not _that_ bad. I was wondering why the bag was so heavy."

"It's okay. I should give you the combination to the safe, anyway." And he recited it to me.

Wait… "That's a date," I said, frowning. I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes when I saw one corner of his lips tilt up. "I know that date."

"Do you," he said it off-handedly but his eyes were crinkling.

It was the date I'd first met him at the coffee shop for advice on bounty hunting.

We grabbed jackets, and I called Lula on the way to the garage. She was on her way to dinner with Tank, though, and didn't want to leave. She was fretting about me going alone so I told her Ranger was with me, and I'd catch her later.

"Jeep, Bronco, or Cayenne?" he asked.

"You choose, you're driving." So we got into one of the Broncos. I wondered how they kept straight which keys went with which black Bronco because they all looked alike to me. I'd have had to push the unlock button on the remote to make the lights flash even though in the garage they weren't locked.

On the way across town I told him about my earlier visit to the VFW. "It's run-down inside, and kind of depressing. I hope it feels more cheerful tonight with people in it."

Ranger asked about the skip, and I told him about Peabody. "He'd been drinking at home and decided to go for a walk in his tighty-whities - only the elastic was gone and he was kinda hanging out. A neighbor tried to talk to him and when he didn't respond they called the cops. He resisted when they tried to arrest him."

"Is he violent?" Ranger asked.

"I don't think so. I'm thinking he probably didn't have his hearing aids on and was confused about what was happening. He just didn't like getting grabbed."

Ranger parked the Jeep across the street from the entrance. "Want me to come in?"

"No," I smiled at him. "I think he'll come quietly, especially if I let him eat first. Do you mind waiting?"

"Not unless it takes all night," he said, slouching down in the seat.

I started to get out when I heard him murmur, "Go get him, _pequeno tigre,_" and I turned back with a laugh.

"Did you just call me a tiger?"

"Would you prefer 'pussycat'?"

I shook my head and closed the door. It had been strange to see Ranger being 'normal' - this new playful side was going to take even longer to get used to.

I had my cuffs with me. No gun, because there was likely to be a crowd and I didn't want any accidents. Peabody was old so I didn't want to take a chance stunning him, and in an enclosed room my spray was just as likely to get me as my skip. I'd have to either talk him into coming with me, or get a cuff on him and drag him out. And if all else failed, Ranger was outside and I could yell for help.

There was a steady trickle of people going in, mainly older men but there were a few younger men and some women. I walked in behind a couple of older women and slipped along the wall until I got to a good vantage point to survey the room and watch the incoming traffic.

Peabody came in just before five. There was a pretty good crowd now, the jukebox was going and a haze of cigarette smoke was forming. I watched him go through the buffet line twice, and waited more or less patiently until he was finished eating. There were a few other men at his table, and just as I started toward it, one of them pulled what looked like an antique German pistol out of a pocket and was showing it to the others.

In retrospect, I suppose the man was trying to sell it. The gun was passed around the table and one of the others worked the cylinder a time or two. Peabody popped a piece loose and looked down the gun, then shook his head and slid it back across the table to the owner, who was getting red in the face with anger. The next thing I knew he pointed it at the ceiling.

Time did that slow-motion thing again as I watched him pull the trigger. I yelled "No!" and heard it echoed by two of his table-mates, all of whom leapt to their feat. The gun didn't fire, and the red-faced man cussed and threw it on the floor. Of course _then_ it went off.

The bullet went almost straight up, hit an I-beam support at the ceiling, ricocheted down at an angle and grazed Peabody's forearm, took a chunk out of the concrete floor and caught me on the outside of my thigh going up. It happened so fast I almost didn't feel it.

Almost.

People were yelling and running out the doors. Peabody had fallen over a chair and was trying to get up and hold his bleeding arm at the same time. I took a step toward him and wobbled, my hit leg not wanting to work quite right. It hurt, burned, but it wasn't too bad. I could feel blood starting to ooze, though.

I reached Peabody just as Ranger reached us. He was putting his gun away as I looked up.

"What happened, Babe? Are you okay?."

I pointed toward the antique. "Old gun accident - it got dropped and misfired." I held out a hand to Peabody and Ranger helped me get him to his feet. "Are you hurt anywhere else, Mr. Schmidt?"

"I don't think so," he said shakily, "but I don't feel too good."

We got him into a chair. I could hear the sound of sirens growing closer and sighed. My luck strikes again.

"I can take care of this, if you want to slip out," I told Ranger. "I'll call when I'm done."

"Your leg is bleeding."

Well, hell. I was hoping he wouldn't notice. I should have known better.

"Ricochet. It isn't deep."

"I'll wait, and follow you to the hospital." He started around me then stopped, kissed me, and shook his head slightly. His lips were quirked up. "I'll be outside."

Carl and Big Dog were first into the almost empty building. They had their guns out but saw us sitting and put them away.

"Stephanie, what's up? You didn't shoot anybody, did you?" Carl teased.

"Not yet," I said with a small grin, "but the night is just getting started. No, this was just an accident -- someone dropped an old gun, and it had a bullet stuck in it I guess. It fired and the bullet bounced around, grazed Peabody Schmidt here and then stuck in me."

"You're hit?" Carl was suddenly all serious.

I pointed at my thigh. "Just barely, but the slug is still in there. Can we get this done so we can go to the hospital?"

Big Dog put a marker down and picked the old gun up with a plastic bag, zipping it inside. Carl got Peabody's version of the story down on one of those little digital voice recorders, then turned to me.

"What were you doing here, Stephanie?"

"I was here for Mr. Schmidt - he's FTA. I was waiting until he was finished eating, and was just moving up to talk to him when the incident happened. I wasn't close enough to hear what was said but I saw the gun hit the ground."

He nodded and shut off the recorder just as two EMTs came through the door. Big Dog waved them over to Peabody and Carl leaned closer to me.

"You know Ranger is outside?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Is it true? I heard you were living at Haywood with him."

"I've been staying there, yeah, but don't go jumping to conclusions or spreading rumors."

"I would never!" he protested with his hand over his heart.

Riight! "Just keep in mind that you'd be talking about him, too." I reminded him, and he looked thoughtful and nodded.

The EMTs cleaned and bandaged Peabody's arm and gave him a couple of Tylenol for pain, and said he didn't need to go to the hospital unless it got infected. Big Dog took custody of him and told me I could pick up my body receipt later.

The EMTs wanted to cut my pants leg off but I wouldn't let them. They insisted I go in the ambulance. I would rather have had Ranger drive me, but he agreed with the EMTs. I grudgingly got into the ambulance.

I walked into the emergency room under my own steam and greeted the woman behind the desk.

"Why are you here? Someone hurt?" she asked. I turned around and showed her my leg and her eyebrows went up to her hairline. "What happened?"

"I caught a bullet that ricocheted. And it's starting to hurt."

It was slow this early in the evening so I got taken right into a curtained alcove. I stripped off my jeans with a minimum of flinching, and tried to figure out how to sit on the exam table without hurting the spot. I ended up leaning over propped on my hand. The curtain moved and Ranger came in.

"Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah. The numb has worn off now, though, and it's hurting."

The doctor chose that moment to come in. He was older and looked like he'd seen everything at least once. He nodded to Ranger as if he recognized him…which was likely.

"What happened here?" he asked, and I went through the story again. The doc did some prodding and poking, and decided the slug was only about a half to three-quarters of an inch under the skin and could be removed either by forceps or with a small incision, but if it was misshapen after all that bouncing around the incision would probably be best. I didn't care - either one was going to hurt.

Ranger found a stool and sat near my head so he could talk to me and keep me distracted, and I held his hand. The doctor called a nurse to assist and they got me ready, injecting something to numb the area and cleaning it before taping gauze around the area. When they were ready, I closed my eyes and he made the cut.

I couldn't feel the cut, but I could feel the movement in my thigh. Even with Ranger speaking softly to me I heard the scalpel hit the slug, and the forceps grab onto it. I smelled whatever it was they used to wash it out, and felt the slight tug of the stitches. By the time they were done I was queasy.

Ranger seemed to know. He stayed seated and kept talking to me while the nurse cleaned up, washed the excess brown gunk off my leg and bandaged it, then left. He waited until I was ready to sit up, and he kept a hold on me until I got my color back. Then he wrapped me in a blanket and took me home.

It took me all the way back to Haywood to convince him I could walk and didn't need to be carried, but I did appreciate his arm steady around me. Bobby brought up a few pain pills for me in case I needed them during the night, and Ella brought us dinner. We ate in the sitting at the dining room table. If I sat a little crooked my leg didn't touch the chair.

After dinner we went to bed. It was a little early, but I was tired and Ranger was still catching up on his sleep. I took one pain pill for the ache, but after Ranger cradled me to him I was fine, and slept through the night.

_**TBC…**_


	45. Chapter 45

_**Disclaimer: Max, Yoshi, Elsie, (so far) and the story are mine. Everything else except the Resort belongs to JE. I don't know who the Resort belongs to, I'm just borrowing it. According to my web research, it's the oldest Atlantic City Casino. I've never been there so everything but the name is completely made up.**_

_A/N: Sorry, no smut this chapter…just boring stuff and Stephanie plotting…._

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 45**_

I surfaced from sleep slowly and was surprised to find myself facing the blinds. From the golden light gilding the edges I guessed it was just sunrise. How odd was it that I'd seen more sunrises from this room than my own? The thought didn't hold my attention for long and then my mind wandered again.

Yesterday's events replayed through my mind and it belatedly registered that I was lying on my wound. The pain pill had to have worn off by now but my leg didn't actually hurt. It ached, the sort of discomfort I associated with deep bruises, but that was it. Maybe it had something to do with the warm dark-skinned man still sleeping at my back.

Ranger was still asleep with his face in my hair, and I could feel his slow even breathing against my neck. One of his arms was under my pillow, and the other was around my waist with his hand splayed against my belly…which was bare. Hadn't I gone to bed wearing something? I smiled slightly--it looked like my pajamas would never see much use.

I was too comfortable to move and was almost dozing when I felt Ranger wake. His breathing stilled for just a moment, then he sighed and the hand on my belly tightened slightly. I smiled to myself as his fingers started stroking slowly up and down my abdomen.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked softly.

"Not long."

"How is your leg?"

I smiled. "Not bad. It aches a little, like a bruise. That's all."

"Good."

His fingertips explored my belly button gently, slowly. My nipples puckered and things lower tightened, but I tried not to move. Then his hand drifted upwards to brush the undersides of my breasts and my breath caught.

The pillow moved beneath my head as he shifted to prop himself up on his elbow and ease me onto my back

I looked up at him and felt my heart turn over in my chest. I still had the urge to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, that this beautiful man really was mine. A smile curved his lips and I smiled back.

"Good morning," I whispered.

His reply was a kiss, soft and gentle, and his hand found its way up to cup my face. I parted my lips and took him deeper, melting under the onslaught, and made a small sound of protest when he slowly drew back.

"Hold that thought," he said huskily. "Probably not a good idea just yet. I don't want you to pull your stitches. Trust me, that hurts."

Okay, he was probably right. He usually was, darn it. "Can I have a rain-check?"

His smile was a flash of white. "Anytime." He dropped another quick kiss on my lips and pushed himself back. "Will you let me check your leg?"

I sighed and nodded. He sat up and I shifted, rolling toward him. I was just a little disappointed to see he was wearing the black silk boxers but maybe it was for the best. Less temptation this way.

Ranger caught the edge of the tape and peeled the big gauze pad back. I was watching his face and saw him smile slightly.

"Does it look awful?" I asked. I wasn't sure I wanted to look.

"No. There's a bruise from the impact, and the incision and entry wound. Your stitches are in good shape and there's only a little inflammation." His fingers probed very gently around the wound. "You may end up with a very small scar from the entry wound, but it shouldn't be bad."

"I'll just add it to my collection."

He chuckled. "Scars don't bother me, but try not to collect too many, okay? I'd rather keep my lady in one piece."

_My lady_… His words sent a thrill through me and made my heart beat funny.

"I'll try. Is it okay for me to take a shower?" I couldn't remember what the doctor had said, but Ranger would know.

"Sure. Just stay still a minute and let me put something over your stitches." He rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom, returning a minute later with a sterile paper package about the same size as the gauze dressing had been and a smaller gauze pad. He pulled the old dressing the rest of the way off, put the clean pad down, and opened the paper pack. He peeled something that looked almost like skin away from the backing and smoothed it gently over the gauze, making sure it sealed all the way around. "Go easy on this and try not to pull it loose. I'll clean your stitches when we get done."

We? Maybe my day was looking up.

I could feel something pulling, almost pinching, when I walked but it mostly just felt really strange and a little sore. Ranger got in the shower with me, helping me wash and letting me return the favor, but he kept it from going too far. Just as well, because after we got out and he went to dress I used the bathroom and found my period had started.

Lovely. Well, at least I was prepared.

I took care of that problem, scooted into the dressing room and pulled on panties and a bra, then a long-sleeved t-shirt. I carried socks and a pair of yoga pants to the bed. Ranger was dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed with first-aide box next to him. One of his eyebrows went up slightly.

"You didn't need to get dressed."

I opened my mouth to explain, made the mistake of glancing at him, and felt my face heating. Damn, I haven't blushed about my period in years!

Ranger's ESP was working, though. His lips quirked up just a fraction and he said, "Ah."

"Sorry."

"Not a problem. Do you need anything?"

I shook my head and climbed up on the bed, arranging myself much the same as I had earlier. Ranger removed the waterproof skin and flipped open the box. I couldn't see my leg without lifting my head – and I wasn't ready to look at it, anyway – so I just watched his face. He swabbed the stitches first, very carefully, and then he cleaned the entire area and let it dry before covering it with a smaller gauze pad liberally coated with antibiotic salve and securing it with surgical mesh adhesive tape. Then he smiled down at me and ran his hand up the back of my thigh to cup my ass as he bent to give me a quick kiss.

"How about I drive you to get your body receipt for Schmidt and go by the bonds office?"

I started to refuse and tell him I could drive myself… then reconsidered. "You don't want to do paperwork this morning, do you?" I teased, and he laughed.

"Busted."

"Sure. Maybe it's a nice day for a drive."

Turns out it was spitting snow and the streets were a mess, so I was glad Ranger was driving and we were in the Cayenne. My Jeep got along pretty good in bad weather, but it never really got warm.

Eddie was on desk duty today and teased me about getting shot again even with Ranger standing behind me. Eddie never went too far, though, so Ranger just shook his head. Joe walked through with a hand full of files, saw me and stopped briefly.

"Hey, I heard you had some excitement last night. You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, nodding.

Joe took me at my word and turned his attention to Ranger. "Glad to see you made it back in one piece, Manoso. You bring this weather back with you?"

Ranger just smiled. "Wrong end of the spectrum."

Joe nodded and moved on with a brief wave. Ranger watched him disappear into a doorway.

"Morelli looks a little frazzled."

Frazzled? That didn't sound like a Ranger word, but it was apt. "The last I heard, he was dating a woman doctor from St. Francis. Maybe their schedules aren't meshing very well."

On the way to the bonds office I managed to convince Ranger I needed donuts today. I got the usual assortment to take to the office and got a couple of mostly-healthy muffins for Ranger, and coffee for both of us. Connie and Lula were both in and bitching about the weather when we entered.

"I'm jus' saying, it's a bad sign. It ain't even December yet. We get snow this early, it's gonna be a nasty winter."

"December starts tomorrow, Lula--" Connie broke off. "Well, hey Steph, Ranger. What do you think of this weather?"

"Could be worse," Ranger said with an almost-smile. "Could be freezing rain."

Lula started muttering about jinxes and Ranger laughed. Connie and Lula both stared for a startled moment but Ranger didn't seem to notice.

He was steering me toward the sofa. "You should sit."

I saw Connie and Lula exchange a look behind his back. "So it's true, then, Steph? You got shot last night?" Connie asked.

"It was just a ricochet," I said, letting Ranger take the body receipt to Connie. "It isn't that bad."

They noticed the donut box then and dived in. Lula brought me my two Boston Creams and perched on the end of the sofa with her selection. Ranger actually took one of the muffins. Connie was writing my check with one hand and holding her donut with the other.

"So are you gonna take it easy today?" Lula asked me.

"Probably, although the snow has put me in the mood to start my Christmas shopping. Did you have any trouble with Mooner?"

"Nah. I just took a bag of burgers and fries and watched TV with him while we ate. Then he just came along. I stayed with him at the desk until Connie got him re-bonded, an' then I took him back home. He kinda reminds me of Bob."

I laughed. Personally I'd thought the same thing more than once. Mooner was half brain-dead, but he was a sweet guy.

Connie tore the check out of the book and handed it to Ranger. I figured he'd be ready to leave then, but he just came over and sat down by me. The girls weren't sure what to make of him today.

"Got any new skips today, Connie?" I asked, more to keep things from feeling awkward than genuine interest.

"Yesterday everyone showed up for court. It's too early today to tell, but I would guess with this weather that most of them will show."

I was searching for something else to say when Ranger spoke to Lula. "Do you know what you're getting Tank for Christmas?"

"Not a clue. The man's damned hard to buy for. Why, you got any ideas for me?"

"He collects action movies. He's got a lot of the modern ones on DVD but he's been looking for the old black and white war movies. And the walls of his house are pretty bare."

Lula looked thoughtful. I watched Connie pretending not to listen, and was struck with another idea…but I'd bring it up later, after I talked to Elsie again.

I finished my coffee and Ranger stood up, giving me a hand up. "I'll check in tomorrow, Connie," I said, and Ranger led me back to the Cayenne.

"I forgot to ask you yesterday, Babe. How did your mom like the spa?"

"She loved it," I said with a grin. "They probably had to bribe her to get her out of the massage chair she was in when I went by. Dad seems to be enjoying himself, too – he's planning to take Mom to Atlantic City sometime today and stay for a couple of days."

"Do you have your phone?"

"What?" I looked through my purse and pulled out my phone. "Yes, why?"

"Call and see if they've left yet, and if your dad made reservations. If he didn't, tell him to go to the Resort Hotel and Casino."

I was dialing and giving him a questioning look at the same time.

He chuckled. "They're one of our accounts. I can get them a good deal."

There was no answer, but I remembered Dad having brochures on the kitchen table so we turned around and headed to the house. I slid on the snow-covered walk and grabbed Ranger's arm to keep my balance, gasping as my stitches pulled. Then I had to talk fast to keep from being carried the rest of the way.

There was still a small stack of brochures on the table, including two from hotel-casinos. One was the Resort. Both had notes scribbled on them in Dad's writing, so I flipped my phone open and called the reservation numbers. Dad had made a reservation at the Resort.

Ranger made a call then, switching to a different language shortly after the other person answered. I was all set to eavesdrop – but it wasn't Spanish. Darn!

His call was short, then he hung up and smiled at me.

"Italian?" I asked.

"The manager likes exercising his language skills. It puts him in the right mood to cooperate with requests."

"Sneaky man."

He just grinned. And he kept his arm around me as we went back down the sidewalk.

My phone rang while we were pulling away from the curb. It was Elsie.

"Hi, Steph! I'm glad you gave me a card yesterday, because I couldn't find the first one anywhere. Anyway, I've got the information on the benefit for you."

"Hang on, let me grab a pen." I dug in my purse for my notebook and pen. "Okay, go."

"It's being held here in the new wing even though it isn't finished yet, which could be interesting. The tickets are $50 per person. There's a catered dinner buffet, a cash bar, and dance music. The band they usually use isn't available so I'm not sure what they'll do, maybe bring in a DJ. Oh, and there are some donated door prizes – a couple of TVs, a new laptop computer, some gift certificates, stuff like that."

"Okay. Are there many tickets left?"

"Yeah. We seldom sell out – we're lucky to clear much over $5000 a year, which is why this wing still isn't finished."

Hmm… "What's the dress code?"

"Dressy, but not necessarily black-tie formal. Think big wedding."

I laughed. In the 'Burg, a big wedding was pretty dressy. "I'll call you later, probably tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Bye!"

We were just turning into the Haywood garage when I hung up. "Sorry. I meant to ask, what did you work out with the Italian-speaking manager at the Resort?"

"I upgraded their room a little."

I watched him as he parked the SUV. He wasn't looking at me.

"To….what, a suite?"

"Yeah." He was still trying to look innocent, which was a giveaway.

"What did you do, get the honeymoon suite?" My mom would shit.

"It was reserved."

"Oh." Darn. I've heard they have a big heart-shaped Jacuzzi tub in the honeymoon suite.

"The owner's suite was available, though."

"_Holy Cow!"_ I exclaimed. _Dad_ would shit, too.

Ranger laughed. "Calm down, it's not costing anyone. The suite is empty and the manager can offer it at his discretion as long as the owner isn't expected. And he owes me a few favors."

I waited until we were on the ground and then I grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	46. Chapter 46

_**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, you all already know it….**_

_A/N: Kind of a calm chapter. Have to have one of those every once in a while._

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_I waited until we were on the ground and then I grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him._

_**Chapter 46**_

About one second into the kiss Ranger took over, his arms going around me to pull me close. I melted into him and things got a little heated – and then I tried to go on my tiptoes and it hurt my leg.

Ranger pulled back with a faint smile. "We're giving the men in the control room a free show, Babe. What was that about? I told you, it isn't costing anyone anything."

"Yeah, I know," I grinned up at him. "But you made the call, and you didn't have to. Thank you."

"My pleasure." He guided me into the elevator and pressed the button for five. "Is your leg hurting?"

"A little. Not bad."

"Were you serious about shopping?"

"I'm in the mood, yes, but not ready for the mall yet. I thought I'd take some aspirin and do some looking online."

"I need to check in with Tank and get some more paperwork done. If you want to keep me company I can find you a laptop to use, or you can use the computer in the office on seven."

"I brought my laptop. I'll go get it and be back down. Are you sure I'm not going to bother you?"

The elevator doors slid open. "Not unless you talk to yourself," he answered, eyes crinkling at the corners. He stepped out on five and I stayed put. "Don't get lost."

Woody was coming out of the stairwell door when I got off the elevator back on five.

"Hi, Woody. How's it going?"

"Hey, Steph," he grinned. "I called Willow, the girl you introduced to me at the bar. We met for lunch last weekend, and we've got a date tomorrow night. Thanks again for your help."

"No problem." Willow was an interesting girl. Three years younger than me, and something of an odd-ball at school, we'd become friends working at the Tasty Pastry. She was nice looking but not really pretty, but she was one of those women who are so self-confident that they draw attention anyway. "Let me know how it goes. Hey, before I forget – the library is having a dinner-dance fundraiser Friday after next and I've talked Ranger into going with me. Would you like to go?"

"Maybe, if I'm not on shift that night. I'll look and get back to you, okay?"

"Sure. Do you know where Bobby is? Or where I can get some aspirin?"

"There's ibuprofen in the break room – um, top shelf, let me get it for you," he trailed off as he headed down the hall.

I watched him get it down. "You know, Hector isn't much taller than me. What if he needed it?"

Woody grinned, unabashed. "He's got longer arms, honey."

I just shook my head and took the pills, taking my bottle of water with me.

Lester was coming out of Ranger's office as I approached. "Lester, are you working Friday after next?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"There's a fundraiser dinner-dance for the library. Someone will be there that I'd like you to meet."

Lester's eyes lit up. "Really? You are talking single female, right?"

"Yes!" I laughed, "I assumed your tastes ran that way."

"I'll look at the schedule. Thanks, Steph."

When I walked into his office Ranger was kicked back in his desk chair with his arms crossed, eavesdropping. My steps faltered.

"Are you being a fundraiser or a matchmaker, Babe?"

"Um…" I stalled. "Maybe a little bit of both?"

"Is this something new?" His lips twitched up and I relaxed just a little.

"Kind of. Since the guys decided to mother-hen me while you were gone I spent a lot of time around them, and found out some of them are a little lonely." He frowned slightly and I hurried to clarify. "They might not be ready to settle down just yet, but most of them would like to have someone to go out with occasionally. The problem is they're kind of intimidating and they don't feel comfortable going where they make people nervous, so it's hard to meet women. I'm just trying to help break some ice."

A smile was starting to creep across his face and his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Um-hm. Matchmaking."

He was teasing me again! I put one hand on my hip and gave him a pissy look. "Aren't you supposed to be doing paperwork?"

Chuckling, he turned back to his desk. I sat down on the sofa with my computer and booted it up, logging in to the wireless network with my RangeMan password. I'd just pulled up my first shopping site when I heard the "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" music from "Fiddler on the Roof" playing softly on Ranger's computer. I started searching my pockets and laptop case for something to throw at him.

Tank stepped into the doorway just as I threw an ink pen. He watched it bounce off Ranger's shoulder, shook his head, and just turned around and left.

Actually, after that we settled down for a while. Ranger did paperwork for a little over an hour before stretching and pushing his chair back. I'd bookmarked some possible gift ideas and started my shopping list, but I was starting to yawn. Too much internet shopping made me sleepy.

Since it was after one, we went upstairs and raided the refrigerator for lunch. I'm not sure what Ella did with the food we didn't eat, but as usual there was something fresh waiting. Today it was a slow-cooker with soup, thick with vegetables and chicken chunks and odd little noodles that looked like super-sized rice kernels. Next to it was a basket with cloth-wrapped contents.

"Be careful of the basket, Babe. Ella has a marble disk she heats and puts in the bottom to keep the rolls warm," Ranger warned as he got bowls out. I got utensils and found drinks and a small bowl of whipped butter in the fridge.

The soup was wonderful, as good as any of my mother's and probably healthy, too. The rolls were dark brown, but they smelled so good when Ranger tore one open that I had to try them. I gobbled down half before I could stop myself, but forced myself to eat the rest slowly with my bowl of soup. I looked longingly at the basket.

"There are plenty. You can have another one," Ranger told me, giving me a concerned look.

"If I keep eating Ella's food I'm going to weigh five hundred pounds," I told him with a sigh.

He grinned. "I doubt it. Besides, I can think of lots of ways you could burn off any extra calories."

I looked at him. His eyes were dancing and I knew better than to ask. But when he tore another roll in two and offered, I took half.

When we finished he buzzed Ella on the intercom line to tell her we were done. I was rinsing the bowls. Just as I turned off the water my cell rang.

"Hey, white girl! Have you had lunch yet?" It was Lula.

"Just finished. Why?"

"I was going to cruise over to that electronics store where my friend Carly works and see what they've got in the way of movies for Tank. I thought maybe you'd like to go with me."

I turned to look at Ranger and he must either have very good hearing or he guessed who it was "Paperwork" he mouthed. "Go, have fun."

"Sure, Lula. Do you want me to meet you?"

"No, I'll pick you up out front. You might want to wear a scarf, it's still snowing. I'll be there in about ten minutes."

"Okay."

When I hung up, Ranger pulled me into his arms. "Shopping with Lula?"

"Uh-huh. She wants to go look at movies. It was nice of you to give her that idea for Tank."

"He's easier to buy for since he got the house. Now he has room for his collection."

I smiled up at him. "Since I know she's going to ask, does he have a favorite art style he'd like for his walls? Like landscapes or something?"

His lips were quirking up. "Put her off on that if you can, maybe just describe the house to her. I promised Tank this weekend off and I'm pretty sure he's taking Lula home with him. I'm sure she'll have ideas of her own when she comes back."

"Good idea," I agreed, and gave him a squeeze and a quick kiss. "I need to grab my coat. Lula said it's still snowing."

Ranger let me go and looked out the window. "Did you bring your boots?"

"Yeah, but I don't think I remembered to get my gloves. Lula's driving though so I can just keep my hands in my pockets."

I went to put my boots on and grab my jacket. Ranger followed me into the closet as I was tying my laces and opened a small drawer. He pulled out a black scarf and gloves. The scarf was very soft and warm but it didn't itch like wool when he draped it around my neck. I stood up, fingering the soft knit, and he held my jacket for me.

"Thanks, but I don't think your gloves would fit me," I smiled when he handed them to me.

"Try them. It doesn't matter if they're a little big."

I pulled one on. It was knit, I discovered, but a much finer and tighter knit that I was used to, and it stretched to fit. And it did fit. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are these your gloves?"

"You'd better hurry or Lula will be waiting. Try not to overdo it on your leg, and call if you need anything. I'm going to see if I can get through the rest of that paperwork."

I took off because I didn't want to keep Lula waiting – but it didn't escape my notice that he hadn't answered my question.

Luis was sprinkling ice melt on the just-shoveled sidewalk when I stepped outside. Lula had just pulled to the curb. I waved to Luis and got into the car carefully. As soon as I was buckled in Lula pulled back onto the street.

"I forgot about your leg an' all. Are you going to be okay walking around?" she asked.

"It's okay. Not nearly as bad as when I got shot in the ass," I told her with a smile. "It pulls a little if I move the wrong way but mostly it just feels like a bruise."

"Okay. Just tell me if you need to take a break."

I pulled off first one of the gloves and then the other, looking inside them for any kind of tags and finding only that they had some sort of micro-mesh lining. There was no tag on either end of the scarf, either.

"What's wrong, something sticking you?" Lula finally asked.

"No…" I sighed. "After you told me it was still snowing Ranger gave me these to wear. I assumed they were his, but look--" I demonstrated, pulling on one of the perfectly-fitting gloves. "They stretch, but do they look like they'd fit Ranger?"

"Not unless they stretch a lot. So he bought gloves for you, why does that bother you?"

"It isn't just the gloves," I explained, and went on to tell her about the beautiful robe. When I finished I looked over and she was grinning.

"Why are you smiling? What do you think?"

"I think you should stop worrying. I think Batman finally woke up," she said, and then she changed the subject on me, asking me to tell her all about Tank's house. Tank had asked her to spend the weekend with him, confirming Ranger's supposition, and she wanted to know a little about it. I told her about the master bathroom and the tub, and told her she should get some bath salts and maybe some candles – and to make sure she took her own shampoo and conditioner, which made her laugh.

The parking lot wasn't too busy when we arrived at the electronics store, and we got a good parking place. Inside they were playing Christmas music, and the TV displays were playing "The Santa Clause". We cruised by the big-screens and I showed her one close to the size of the one in Tank's entertainment center, then we headed over to the movie section. We cruised up and down the isles of DVDs. Lula found a couple of old black and white war movies with John Wayne. I found the original "Operation Petticoat" with Cary Grant, one of my personal favorites when I was little, so I got two copies – one for me and one to give Tank. We came across "Sahara" and I told her about watching it curled up with Ranger, and that gave me another idea for her but I had to call Valerie first.

"Valerie?" She answered but there was a lot of noise in the back ground. Mary Alice was galloping around so I guess her leg was much better. I heard a door close and then I could hear Valerie.

"Sorry. What's up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm doing some Christmas shopping with Lula. A week or so ago you said something about a friend that was running a gourmet foods shop that sold flavored microwave popcorn. Do you know where it is?"

She had to look in her purse, but she had a card and gave me the address and phone number. I thanked her and promised to call to talk again soon.

"Here," I said, giving Lula the paper I'd written the information on. "This place sells gourmet microwave popcorn and all kinds of goodies. You could make a basket of goodies and maybe a candle or two, things for when you watch movies together. Make sure you include a couple of movies you'd like to watch, too." I held up the Cary Grant movies. "I'm giving him one of these and I'm pretty sure you'll like it."

"That's a good idea. Just movies might be kind of boring."

My mind was in shopping mode now. "And maybe a throw to cuddle under, something soft and warm for when it's cold outside."

"Girl, you're good! Let's get these movies and go next door to Linens 'N Things."

She added a box set of black and white war movies with actors I'd only vaguely heard of, and then an older action movie called "Tango & Cash" that she said was really good. Finally we headed for the checkouts.

Lula ran our bags to her car and met me at the door of the next store. She grabbed a cart this time.

We headed to the section where the throws were. I tried to describe the living room as well as I could remember, and Lula found a generously-sized throw in black, blue, and gray plaid that would fit right in and it was nice and soft. Then she caught sight of some candle holders and we went to look at them.

She found a black wrought-iron and glass candle holder made to hold one of the big three-wick candles that I thought would look really good on the coffee table, and then she asked me about the bedroom. I described what I could remember, that the wood was dark but not black, and the comforter was cream with sage and terracotta. We didn't have any luck with interesting candle holders, so she got a few plain glass votive holders and some nice scented candles including one of the big ones.

We were in line for the checkout when her phone rang. I could tell by her voice it was Tank, so I turned to look at the silly stuff they put at the registers to tempt you, playing with a big-button calculator and smelling some car air fresheners.

"That was Tank," she said when she hung up. "He's on his way back to the RangeMan building and he said it's getting nasty out. We'd better stop for today."

"Okay," I agreed, helping her empty her cart onto the conveyer belt. I didn't want to admit it, but my leg was starting to ache a little, too.

Outside, the churned-up snow in the lot was slippery and tricky to walk on. I slipped twice but thankfully not in the directions that pulled my stitches. We added Lula's purchases to what was already in her trunk, and I got my small bag out so she wouldn't have to open it again when she dropped me off. Just as we got the windows cleared my phone rang, and it was my mother.

"Stephanie? Where are you?"

"I was shopping with Lula, Mom, but it's getting slippery out so we're quitting for tonight. Are you in Atlantic City?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "And we got the owner's suite! It even has its own little swimming pool!"

I had to laugh. She sounded like a kid.

"We thought there was some mistake, so Frank went down and asked. The manager said a friend of the owner requested it for us. I don't even know who the owner is! Do you?"

"No." I debated for a moment then decided Mom would worry if I didn't tell her. "Mom, Ranger's company does the security for the hotel and casino. He called and asked to upgrade your room. The manager can use the owner's suite at his discretion when the owner isn't expected, so that's what he gave you."

"It has to cost---"

"Mom!" I interrupted. "Ranger said it is just a favor, it isn't costing anything. So just relax and have fun, okay? Enjoy yourselves!"

"We will. Tell your Ranger thank you, and make sure you bring him for dinner soon! Oh, and your grandmother called from Atlanta. They're staying at a hotel that used to be a plantation house, and she's having a ball."

"Good, I'm glad."

"Frank's ready to go down to dinner, so I've got to go. Don't forget to thank Ranger for us. Bye!"

"Your mom and dad went to Atlantic City in this?" Lula asked. She was hunched over the wheel and concentrating on maneuvering into traffic. The roads were not as snowy as the parking lot had been, but they were slushy and slick.

"They left early, before this started. They're already at the hotel." I held my breath as the back end of the Firebird slid sideways briefly but Lula got it stopped. "She said Grandma checked in. The tour group is staying at an old plantation house in Atlanta and she's having fun."

Lula chuckled. "I hope she takes lots of pictures."

The Batman theme played, and I answered my phone.

"Babe? Where are you?"

"We're on our way back to the building, and so far we're fine. Tank called Lula to warn us it was getting bad out."

"Good," he sounded relieved. "It's supposed to be getting worse, too. Tank wants Lula to stay here tonight, if she's agreeable. Just have her park in the garage. You've got your key fob?"

"Yes. Hang on." I hit mute and turned to Lula. "Ranger says the weather is supposed to get worse, and Tank would like for you to stay with him tonight. If you're agreeable I'll open the gate and you can park in the garage."

The car ahead of us slid and barely missed a parked car. "Okay," Lula said, clutching the steering wheel grimly. "I think I'll take him up on that. Tell them thanks."

I relayed her words to Ranger and said we'd call if we had any trouble, and hung up.

It took nearly three times as long as normal to get there, but we finally reached the garage drive without any mishaps. I pressed the button on my key fob and the gate opened. Lula crept down the ramp into the garage and I pointed to the spot next to my Jeep.

Tank had come down to meet us, making Lula mutter about being glad she had a trunk, but she smiled up at him when he opened her door and helped her out of the car.

"Hey, baby, I was beginning to get worried about you. There are wrecks everywhere already."

"We took it nice and slow, didn't we, Steph. We saw a few cars sliding around but most folks were paying attention to the street."

Tank smiled at me as I came around the car with my one lone shopping bag. "Ranger's in the control room. Lester and Zero were on their way back in when a car wrecked right in front of them. They called it in and stopped to help, setting flares and doing what they could for the injured, and now the cops and ambulances have them pinned in." We got into the elevator and he continued as we went up. "Ranger called the guys who live a ways out and told them to stay home. Those already here or who live close are coming in to stay in the building just in case it gets as nasty as they're predicting."

I looked at Lula. "Looks like you were right about the weather this morning."

She snorted. "Told ya."

Tank and Lula got off on four. I decided to see what was going on in the control room before I went on up to seven, so I got off on five.

Ranger was sitting at the monitors talking on a headset. From his side of the conversation I guessed it was Lester or Zero on the other end. "Most of the businesses are already closed or are in the process, and we've got enough men in to cover. Just go home from there." He paused and the corners of his mouth quirked up before he turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. "Yes, she's back okay. She just came in. Okay. Be careful."

He pulled the headset off and shook his head. "They asked to make sure you were in and safe, Babe."

"See, I told you, they're mother hens. Are they okay?"

"Yes. They're finally clear of the mess the wreck caused but there are a lot of cars off the roads. They're not far from Zero's place. They'll just go there and he'll put Lester up for the night."

"Are you taking a monitor watch?"

"For a little while. Bobby was on, but I sent him with Luis to make sure we had anything we might need for a few days, since now they're predicting ice. Cal's coming up to take the next shift in about an hour and I'll be off for the night unless there's a problem. Why don't you go on upstairs?"

"Okay."

I started to turn but he caught my hand and pulled me down for a kiss first.

I was smiling when I got back to the elevator. It opened to reveal Ella and a loaded cart. I'd seen her use one once before, when she stocked Ranger's refrigerator the day he got back. Now it was loaded with crock pots, a big coffee urn, and baskets of muffins and sandwiches. I stepped back and held the elevator as she pushed the cart out.

"Are you heading for the break room?" I asked.

"Yes, dear. I thought it might be a good idea to get things stocked up. The weather is looking quite dreadful."

I followed her and helped her unload, clearing the small coffee pot out of the way so she could plug the big one in. She went to what I'd thought was an extra-wide wooden chair rail and lifted it. It was a bar, made to fold down when not needed, and there were outlets underneath it. She tested it to make sure it was locked in place, and then started setting the crock pots on it. I added the basket of muffins and stacks of cups and bowls and a basket of utensils. She put the basket of wrapped sandwiches in the fridge. Someone had already crammed the door shelves with sports drinks, soft drinks, and water.

She pushed the empty cart back to the elevator and I followed, carrying my coat and purse and shopping bag. "Is there anything else I can help with?" I asked her.

"I just need to take extra towels and things to the fourth floor," she said. "If you don't mind you could save me a trip."

The doors opened on six and she asked me to hold the door. She pushed the empty cart out and exchanged it for a waiting one overloaded with sheets, towels, pillows, and some trial-size toiletries in a basket. I dropped my stuff on the floor just outside the elevator doors and grabbed for the pillows that were falling as she pushed the cart inside.

On four she got out and I followed, carrying a huge armload of pillows. Ella scooped a stack of towels off a shelf and nodded for me to follow her. She held the stack steady with her chin and rapped sharply on the door of apartment two, the one Lester told me was like a bunkhouse. Hal opened the door wearing black sweatpants and a dark red t-shirt, and Ella breezed in past him.

"Hey, Steph! Did Ella put you to work?"

"I offered," I clarified.

Ella put the towels in the bathroom and came back. "Just drop the pillows anywhere, Stephanie. I'm going to make up the beds."

She went back to the cart for a stack of linens. I dropped the pillows on a chair and followed her into one of the bedrooms. She got on one side of the bed and I got on the other, and we made quick work of making the two beds in the first room, and then did the second bedroom.. Her side of the beds was maybe a little better tucked, but I didn't think they guys were going to complain. Hal carried the pillows in for us and we put cases on and distributed them on the beds, too, and then we left.

Ella pushed the cart, still holding lots of towels and a few sets of linens and pillows, up against the wall in the hall, out of the way, and we went back to the elevator. She got off on six, and I grabbed my stuff and went up to seven.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	47. Chapter 47

_**Disclaimer: Not mine, just having entirely too much fun playing with them to worry about it.**_

_A/N: Thanks to Alfonsina.d (Lisa) for fixing my Spanish and being my sounding board in the wee hours of the morning!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 47**_

Ranger was just unlocking the apartment door when the elevator opened. He gave me a raised eyebrow. "I though you came up here earlier."

"I ran into Ella and helped her with a few things. I thought I'd still beat you up here – I guess it took longer than I thought."

He pushed the door open and ushered me inside, tugging on the small plastic bag I'd tied to my purse strap to keep it out of my way. "Is this the extent of your shopping trip?" he teased.

"Mostly I was helping Lula buy. I only got two copies of one movie – one for me, and one to give Tank."

"It's not 'Ghostbusters' is it?"

"No. It's an old Cary Grant movie about a pink submarine." I laughed when he gave me a quizzical look. "It's one of the 'screwball' comedies that made him famous. You have to watch it for it to make sense."

I put my things away in the closet then kicked off my boots and padded into the bathroom in my sock feet. I took care of my business, washed my hands, and went back into the living room to find Ranger sitting on the arm of the sofa reading the back of the DVD case.

"It's a good night for a movie, don't you think?" he asked with a faint smile, and I smiled back. "It's close to dinner time. Are you hungry?"

"Not really. I'm thirsty, and I kind of need some more ibuprofen," I confessed. "My leg is starting to ache a little again."

"I thought it might be. You were limping a little." He pointed to the coffee table where a bottle of ibuprofen, two bottles of water and a Coke over ice waited. "We can watch your movie or some television and decide on dinner later."

Ranger arranged himself on the end of the sofa while I took a couple of the pills, then he pulled me down to lay curled up against him. He made sure my injured leg was propped up on one of his, and he zapped the movie on.

When the nurse named Lt. Crandall came on board, Ranger started chuckling silently against my back. About the third time she drove the captain crazy he laughed out loud and murmured in my ear, asking if there was anyone named Crandall in my family tree. I elbowed him gently in the ribs and pretended to be offended, and his arms went around me to anchor me more firmly against him.

"That was a good movie," he said when the credits started playing. "Tank should get a kick out of it, too. How's your stomach now?"

Actually, I still wasn't very hungry. I told him about the crock pots in the break room, which to me made more sense that asking Ella to bring us something. He decided that was a good idea, and we could check in with Cal to make sure everything was okay while we were down there.

Since we weren't leaving the building, I went sock-footed, making Ranger shake his head at me. The tile outside the apartment and the metal floor of the elevator were a little chilly but my socks protected me from the worst of it, and the rest of the floors were carpeted.

Hal and Bobby were eating in the break room when we arrived, and Max was at the monitors with Cal. I got a small bowl of chili from one of the crock pots, and Ranger chose the vegetable beef in the other. The chili was fairly mild, thank goodness, although the guys had several optional sauces to heat it up if I wanted. I declined, ate my chili, and found a spice muffin in the basket for my dessert. The guys were talking softly about the weather and making contingency plans for if an account had a break in, but I wasn't paying much attention. My day was catching up with me and I was starting to droop.

"I think Steph is crashing on us, boss," I heard Hal say. I looked up to find all three men smiling at me.

"I'm okay," I said.

Ranger nodded to the guys with a half-smile on his face. "It's getting late. Let me know if anything happens."

I woke up a little in the elevator. Ranger was holding me against his chest where I could hear his heartbeat, which was probably intended to relax me more, but his hands stroking up and down my back sort of countered the effect.. When the doors opened on seven he led me inside and straight to the bedroom.

When he pulled me into his arms for a kiss I was surprised into a smile. He tasted of the peppermint tea he'd been drinking downstairs and the more familiar flavor of Ranger. I pressed myself closer and moaned softly, letting his hands mold me to him. It wasn't until he had my shirt and bra off that I remembered there was a slight problem with continuing. I broke the kiss to say something and lost my train of thought when his fingers gently began to toy with my unusually-sensitive nipple. It took a _lot_ of effort to pull back.

I had to trap his hand before I could get my breath to speak. "Ranger? Um, tonight is probably not a g-good…." I trailed of when his other hand slid low, pressing my hips up against his lower body – against his erection.

I looked up in time to see realization register in his eyes, and then he surprised me by smiling.

"Does it bother you, Babe?'

Did it? I had to think. My college boyfriend hadn't been around long enough for it to come up, but it had grossed the Dick out and so I'd avoided it with Joe. I gave a little shrug. "It's m-messy. Won't it bother you?" My voice would only work at a whisper.

"Doesn't bother me. How about we compromise on a shower? I'll give you a few minutes before I come in."

I nodded, not quite able to speak. He kissed me and reluctantly let me go and I made my way into the bathroom on wobbly legs. From the way my heart was thudding you'd have thought I'd agreed to bungee-jump off a bridge.

I turned the shower on and used the toilet quickly, disposing of my tampon with fingers that trembled. Then I ducked into the warm water.

Ranger stepped in behind me a moment later, turning me to face him, catching my hands in his. He frowned slightly when he felt my tremors.

"Babe? If you don't want this tonight just say so. I don't want you to be uncomfortable with me, ever. I love you."

Those three little words, so softly spoken, undid me.

"I want this, I want you. I'm just nervous. I've never…"

He smiled and pulled me close. "We'll take it slow."

He kissed me gently at first, letting our passion build slowly. At some point he adjusted the water to a gentle slow flow almost like a warm rain. He explored my body with his fingertips and lips and I found I was much more sensitive than normal in certain places. Suckling my nipples had me squirming and crying out. The first gentle slide of his fingers between my legs had me whimpering and gasping his name.

He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his hips eagerly. He lowered me slowly. I felt the tip of his erection penetrate and my nails bit into his shoulders and I moaned. Then he pushed in all the way and I screamed.

"God, Babe," he groaned, sinking to his knees so that I sat astride his thighs, forcing him even deeper. "Stephanie, _Dios, ayuda me__!"_

He lifted me slightly then pulled me back down and I completely lost it, grinding myself down on him, kissing and biting and begging. He was right with me, his arms holding me tight and doing his own share of biting and swearing. We ended in a heap on the tile floor of the shower, struggling to breathe, both of us shaking. The water was growing cool by the time we managed to untangle ourselves and get back to our feet.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	48. Chapter 48

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books belong to JE and are used without permission. The story and original characters belong to me.**_

_A/N: Sorry, no smut today – Steph needs a little recovery time. _

_Before I forget again, I have a new poll on my profile page. It isn't for either of my current stories, just something I've been toying with… Let me know your thoughts!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 48**_

When I surfaced for the day I was alone, sprawled on my back in the tangled sheets of Ranger's bed. I vaguely remembered him getting up earlier, kissing me and whispering for me to go back to sleep. Memories of last night were far more vivid.

My face heated just thinking about it. Ranger had wrapped me in a towel and sat holding me in his lap until I'd stopped shaking, stroking my face and back and whispering to me the entire time. When I was able to tell him I was okay coherently he sat me on the vanity and changed the bandage on my leg, checking to make sure we hadn't pulled any stitches. I was lucky. The area looked irritated but no serious damage was done.

He'd refused to acknowledge my embarrassment about what we'd done and after a while I got over it. He found a chemical ice pack for my leg while I got ready for bed, and gave me a full smile when I slipped under the sheets wearing only my black panties. He'd arranged me comfortably against him with my leg over his so he could hold the ice pack on it. I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat, feeling his thumb stroking back and forth along my thigh.

I stretched and sat up, pushing my hair back out of my face. I gingerly peeled back the tape and peeked under the bandage at my wound. It didn't look irritated this morning. There was no puffiness around the stitches. The bruise looked, well, like a bruise, and it was definitely sore to the touch, but I'd live.

My reflection in the mirror when I went to brush my teeth nearly sent me back to bed. Nothing short of a shower was going to fix that hair. Sighing, I took a quick shower, managed to replace my soggy bandage again, and blow-dried my hair. By the time I got dressed I was starving.

I found Tastycakes and a note from Ranger in the kitchen. The note said good morning, that he was in his office on five, and to please call him or stop by when I was up and about. The 'R' he signed it with was in script and looked like calligraphy. I shook my head; even the man's _handwriting_ was perfect.

Stacking a few donuts on a plate so I wouldn't make a mess, I went to the windows and looked out as I ate. It was hard to gauge from seven floors up, but it looked like Trenton had gotten between four and six inches of snow. At least we'd been spared the ice. The plows had already been by – not surprising, as it was nearly ten – and the streets had been salted. The sun was peeking through clouds but wasn't strong enough to melt the film of snow on the pavement. It would be slick out, and cold.

I had a Coke for caffeine since I didn't want to make coffee just for myself, and contemplated my day. I wanted to check in at the bonds office and go talk to Elsie about the fundraiser. And it had occurred to me yesterday while I was shopping with Lula that I not only needed to think of something to give Ranger for Christmas, I ought to get something for each of the Merry Men for all their help while Ranger was gone. Good thing I actually had a bank balance for a change.

With that in mind, I put on my boots and jacket, took the scarf and gloves again, and picked up my phone, purse, and keys before heading out the door.

Ranger was in his office, dressed for work in his black cargos and a black t-shirt. I paused in the doorway and knocked on the frame.

"I take it a week is your limit for playing hooky?" I teased when he looked up.

He smiled and got up, coming around his desk to pull me inside and close his door. "Babe, it's not playing hooky if you're the boss," he corrected, leaning in to kiss me. "And I might be persuaded to continue. But it looks like you're going out."

"I want to check in with Connie and go talk to Elsie about the library fundraiser – and maybe go by my apartment and get my winter coat. I wasn't expecting this kind of weather yet."

"Maybe you should bring some of your warmer clothes, too," he suggested.

I smiled. That sounded like he wasn't in any hurry for me to move back to my apartment. "Okay. Do you know if the roads are slick?"

"I haven't been out. You can check with Tank in his office – he followed Lula to work this morning because she wouldn't leave the Firebird here. Something about him peeking?" He was giving me a curious look and the corners of his eyes were crinkling.

I leaned forward and whispered confidingly, "Part of his Christmas is in her trunk. She's probably afraid he'd look and spoil her fun."

Ranger wrapped his arms around me, chuckling silently. "I don't know. He's looking forward to Christmas too much to want to spoil it. We all are this year." He kissed my temple and then reluctantly drew back. "Call when you're headed back and I'll let Ella know what time we want dinner. Any requests?"

I shook my head and smiled. "Not really, anything she wants to make is fine with me."

With a last quick kiss he let me out of his office, and I went to check with Tank about the roads before I headed for the garage.

My Jeep was parked where I'd left it. It started easily and I let it warm up a little while I pulled on the soft black gloves, running my hand experimentally along the steering wheel to see if the gloves were going to be difficult to drive in. They gripped pretty well so that shouldn't be a problem.

The streets weren't bad. There was an occasional driver that wasn't paying attention to the road conditions and slid through stop signs or lights and caused traffic scares, but I made it to the bonds office without mishap.

Connie was on the computer when I arrived, and Lula was working on a four-inch stack of files. They both stopped what they were doing when I came in.

"Dang, I was hoping you'd bring donuts," Lula complained as she dropped onto the sofa next to me. "I didn't want to stop this morning 'cause Tank was followin' me."

"I didn't think either of you would be in," was Connie's excuse when we looked at her.

"I didn't even think about it. There were Tastycakes on the counter when I got up."

Connie and Lula were grinning at each other.

"What?" I asked.

"Let me get this straight," Lula said. "You been staying with Batman, and this morning there were _donuts_ in his kitchen?"

"Yeesss," I answered slowly, not sure why she was sounding like a trial lawyer.

"See, I told ya," she said to Connie in a triumphant tone.

Connie started fanning herself, and they both started giggling. I felt my face getting warm.

"Cut it out," I said crossly, but that just made them laugh harder. Their idiocy was infectious because I soon found myself giggling, too, and it was several minutes before we got back under control.

"Oh, I needed that," Connie said with a sigh as she carefully wiped her eyes. "It's been a while since I laughed that hard."

That reminded me, and before I forgot again I told her about the library fundraiser dinner-dance. "Ranger promised to go with me, and I think some of the RangeMan guys are going to go, too. It could be fun."

"Sure, why not. Are you going there today? If you don't mind, I'll give you the money and you can get me a ticket."

"Okay, I can do that." Lula had a funny look on her face and I guessed the reason. "Lula, I don't think Tank has heard about it yet. I've only talked to Ranger, Lester, and Woody so far, and I didn't have very much information about it then."

"Oh. Well, I'll have to wait and see what Tank wants to do. I know it's for a good cause an' all, but I don't wanna be dancin' with nobody but him. And he might have to work if Ranger's gonna go."

I hadn't thought of that. "Well, I'll make sure everyone gets the information. The guys seem to be pretty good about rearranging shifts when something comes up, so if Tank would like to go it can probably be worked out. And if he doesn't want to go it's no big deal – a lot of people don't like these things. My dad hates them. He'll buy tickets if it's for a good cause but he'll never go. He hates getting dressed up and says the food usually sucks, and if he went he'd have to actually eat some of it. Drives my mom crazy."

Lula was chuckling. "Yeah, that might be Tank, too. He hasn't said so outright, but he was grumbling about the dress uniform thing again last night."

"I keep trying to imagine them, but I can't."

"Tank asked me to go with him."

"Go where," Connie butted in, tired of being left out of the conversation, "and what about uniforms?"

I looked at Connie. "Sorry. Ranger, Tank, Lester and Bobby were in the Rangers together. When they got out of the Army they signed a contract to continue doing government assignments. The contract is up now and there's supposed to be a formal retirement ceremony. They have to go in full dress uniform."

"I want pictures," Connie said promptly. Lula and I both laughed.

"If I can get them, I'll bring you copies," I promised. "I want some, too."

"I don't know what to wear to somethin' like that," Lula said.

I sighed. "Neither do I, yet." One more thing to add to my mental to-do list.

I left the office and went to my apartment to get my coat. My jacket wasn't warm enough to ride around in the Jeep, I was still freezing even with the heat on. It was the only thing I didn't like about the vehicle. I also grabbed a bunch of warmer shirts, a nice sweater, and a couple of undershirts, and then went back for a pair of heeled boots. It would have been easier if I'd thought to bring my duffle bag with me.

Once I had my warm coat, and my other things were stowed in my back seat, I headed to the library. Elsie had just come back from lunch.

"Hey," she greeted me with a smile. "Don't you love the snow?"

The older woman in the room snorted, and I grinned. "It kind of puts me in the mood to Christmas-shop," I admitted. "I came by to see if you had printed notices about the fundraiser that I could put up at RangeMan. A few of the guys have expressed interest."

"Really? Yes, we made flyers – I'll get some for you."

The older woman left the office and I took advantage of the privacy. "Elsie, how many single women do you know?"

She gave me a 'huh?' look as she handed me the fliers. "A few, offhand. Why?"

I explained about the single men at RangeMan having trouble meeting women. "The dinner-dance would be a perfect time for them to meet women, because let me tell you, they'll be a sight dressed up. There's not an ugly man among them. And the situation will feel safer to the women than a bar, where usually the guys get avoided."

Elsie grinned, then laughed out loud. "Well, I can think of several women who'll come just to see you and your Ranger. The draw of actual single men will sell a lot more tickets!" We high-fived each other, grinning. Then Elsie sighed and looked out through the glass wall to where a woman was shelving books. "Maybe I can introduce Gina to them. The girl was raised by a career-minded single mom, and all she really wants is a home and family. Her mom is constantly pushing her to go back to grad school so she can get a better job."

I could sympathize. Gina wasn't beautiful, but she was pretty in a quiet way. I wasn't sure what the guys were looking for in a girlfriend and I was afraid she'd be a little too tame. There was no way to tell, but it wouldn't hurt to introduce them.

I bought Connie's ticket, and mine and Ranger's. I told Elsie I'd call and reserve tickets for the guys when I got a head-count, and headed back out.

My stomach was starting to growl so I went through a drive-thru for a burger and then sat in the back lot to eat it, trying to decide what to do next. There were a few people on my Christmas list that I knew what I wanted to buy for, but I wasn't sure I was up to the mall. Besides, where would I keep the packages? I didn't want to store things in my apartment if I wasn't there, everyone and their uncle seemed to be able to break in with no problem, and I wouldn't be comfortable piling stuff in Ranger's closet – even if there was plenty of room.

The Batman ring interrupted my indecision.

"Yo," I answered, grinning.

"Babe." Ranger sounded like he was smiling.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

"Where are you?"

"I'm sitting in my car behind MacDonald's, trying to decide if I want to go to the mall or not."

There was silence on his end, and I decided I would have to explain that. He knew I loved to shop. So I explained my gift-storage dilemma.

"You can stash things here," he said with amusement. "If you run out of room in the closet there's an empty store room on six you can use."

"And you called why?" I asked, and he laughed at my cranky tone.

"Connie has a skip for RangeMan. If you're close, would you mind picking up the file?"

I didn't mind. It gave me an excuse to skip the mall for today. Although it was still early afternoon, my leg ached and I wanted some ibuprofen. I wanted to call Grandma and check in with her. I would have liked to called my parents, too, but neither one of them ever carried a phone.

Hector was coming out of the door to the gun range when I parked in the underground garage. He came over, smiling, when I got of the Jeep.

"Hey, Stephanie," he said. "I was sorry to hear you got hurt. How are you?"

"I'm okay, Hector. My leg is bruised and a little sore, but it's not bad. Your English has really gotten better! Have you been practicing?"

He grinned. "Yes, I practice. I will surprise boss, too."

I laughed and started pulling my clothes and stuff out of the back seat. Hector helpfully let me pile my clothes in his arms, and he carried them into the elevator while I carried the rest.

"Did you tell Ranger yet?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, but I'll get around to it. Things have just been busy since he's been back."

The elevator stopped on five, and Ranger was standing there waiting. He greeted Hector in Spanish and Hector grinned, transferring my clothes into Ranger's arms. Then Ranger stepped into the elevator and Hector stepped out. "See you later," he called as the elevator doors closed.

Ranger gave me a curious smile. "Were you talking to Hector?"

"Yes. I told you he's been working on his English. I can understand him now."

"You used to be afraid of him."

"I couldn't understand him. It's easier to be afraid of someone if they're an unknown. You taught me that, Man of Mystery."

"You were never afraid of me," he said. "Were you?"

I thought back to that first day at the diner. "Maybe a little. I was maybe more afraid of being thrown out of my apartment and having to live with my parents again. Things were bad."

He stopped in front of the apartment door. "Babe, do you have your key?"

I had them in my pocket, and was able to get them with a minimum of juggling. Ranger carried my clothes straight through into the bedroom and laid them on the bed. I trailed behind him with my smaller load, dropping my shoes on the floor and my jacket, purse, and file on the end of the bed.

Ranger stepped behind me and helped me slide off my coat. "You're limping again."

I stifled a sigh. I should have known he'd notice. "My leg's a little sore. Why do bruises always hurt more the second and third days?"

Smiling, Ranger tossed my coat on the bed. "Do you want the technical explanation?" he asked, and chuckled at the look I gave him. He used the black scarf to pull me close then wrapped his arms around me. "I guess not. How about some ibuprofen and a movie break?"

"I should--" I began, gesturing to the clothes.

"Ella's already on her way up," he told me. "Come on, let me get you comfortable. Do you want to change clothes?"

I did. My jeans pulled tight across the bandage when I sat down, and it wasn't comfortable. I changed into yoga pants and visited the bathroom, then went to find Ranger in the living room. Ella had arrived, and she'd brought my laptop and some more chemical ice packs up with her.

Ranger settled me into the recliner and told me to get comfortable. Ella brought over a small folding table just the right height for the chair arm. Ranger brought me a bottle of water and the pain-relievers, and then he loaded the little table with my laptop, a Coke, my phone, and the remote for the TV system. He activated one of the ice packs and had me hold it on my bruise while he wedged it gently in place with a small pillow from the sofa.

"The movie channels are on. I'm going to take the file downstairs so Santos can start on the background searches, and finish the bid I was working on. I'll be back up around five."

"I'm going to get spoiled," I warned him. He just laughed, kissed the top of my head, and left. I opened the Coke, reclined the chair a little and sighed. It was nice to be pampered a little but I knew I shouldn't get used to it.

Reaching for my phone, I called Grandma's cell. It rang three times and then she answered.

"Hi, Grandma, it's Stephanie. Where are you today?"

"We just got on the bus," she told me. "We visited a couple of places in Atlanta this morning, and now we're headed to our next destination. They won't say where, but I know we're heading east because the sun's behind us."

With only a little prompting Grandma told me about her roommate who slept with her false teeth in, and the man who'd choked at dinner the night before but was rescued by the male tour guide's quick attention. She told me about the hotel and the places they'd visited today. Then she wanted to know if it was true I got shot again, and what were Mom and Dad up to?

I explained the ricochet, and told her about Dad taking Mom to Atlantic City – and Ranger getting their room upgraded. "I don't know more than that because they haven't called, and I don't want to call them." 

"Yeah, don't interrupt their fun. Well, I'm glad they're getting some play-time, too! You take care of yourself and Ranger. I'm going to let you go, it looks like we're going to stop for dinner. Want me to call you back later?"

I laughed. "You don't need to. Just enjoy yourself, and call if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay. Bye!"

I put my phone back on the table in easy reach just as Ella emerged from the bedroom carrying my little stack of movies.

"I found these in your duffle bag when I started to put it on the shelf with Ranger's," she said. "I was going to put them out here by the television, if that's all right."

"That's fine. Thank you for putting away my clothes."

"It's no problem," she said, and then her smile flashed. "It was a welcome change from Ranger's all-black. Can I get you anything before I go?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you – do you have any food allergies?"

"No, I don't."

"Do you like portabella mushrooms?"

I smiled sheepishly. "I don't know what portabellas are, but I usually like mushrooms."

"Oh, good! I wanted to make beef tips with portabella mushrooms tonight. Are there any foods you don't care for?"

"I'm not real fond of Brussels sprouts, at least not any way I've had them so far," I answered honestly. "But I love your cooking and I'd try them again if you felt like making them."

She grinned. "Ranger doesn't like them, either," she confided, "so you don't have to worry about them very often although I do sometimes try new recipes. Just tell me if I find one you like."

"Okay," I agreed.

She left and I leaned back, thinking. Thoughts about my growing Christmas list, the fundraiser, and finding out what I should wear for the retirement ceremony passed through my mind….and then I fell asleep.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	49. Chapter 49

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books are property of JE and used without permission. Everyone else and the story are mine.**_

_A/N: I want to thank everyone for not giving up on me & this story! I __**have**__ been working on I; I just got sidetracked with the other stories for a while. I really appreciated the e-mails and PMs. Those of you who faithfully review keep me motivated to write, and I am always anxious to see what you have to say. Thanks!_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 49**_

Something cool and damp was stroking lightly back and forth across my bottom lip, dragging me up from the abyss of sleep. I touched the tip of my tongue to it and tasted…peach? Frowning, I pried my eyes open and found Ranger sitting next to me on the arm of the recliner eating a slice of fresh peach. He took another slice from the bowl on the table and teased it against my lip again.

"Do you like peaches?"

I didn't answer, just opened my mouth slightly. Ranger's eyes darkened as he slid the slice between my lips and watched as I sucked the slice further in. When I bit it in two he took the other half and ate it himself, then propped one hand on the opposite chair arm and leaned down to kiss me slowly. He tasted of peaches and Ranger.

"Babe," he whispered against my lips when he slowly pulled back. "How are you feeling now?"

_Like I want to jump your bones_, I thought, but I doubted that was what he meant by the question. The corners of his eyes crinkled, though, so he probably knew what I was thinking.

Aloud I answered, "I don't know. I need to get up and walk around a little."

He obligingly stood and let me sit the chair up. I pushed myself upright and the chemical ice pack hit the floor along with the pillow. Ranger ignored them and offered me a steadying hand. My leg was a little stiff, but once I was on my feet I was okay.

"What time is it?" I asked. How long had I slept?

"It's a quarter after five. Ella said she'd bring dinner up at six, so you have a little time."

I took a few more steps and was better. Experimental prodding around the area let me know it was still tender, but maybe a little better. "I think I was just stiff from sleeping so hard. My leg feels okay, still just a little sore. I, um, I'll be right back," I excused myself lamely and headed for the bathroom.

Ranger was half sitting, half sprawled on the sofa when I came back, and the bowl that had held the peach was empty. His head was back and his eyes were closed and I wondered if he was tired. I don't think he was a hundred-percent recovered from his last mission yet, and I hoped he wasn't pushing it.

"Come sit with me," he invited without opening his eyes.

I went to him, but instead of letting me sit down he pulled me into his lap. It startled me a little but I knew he'd never drop me, so I relaxed into his arms. He cradled me against him and rested his cheek against the top of my head.

"Are you tired?" I asked softly.

His reply was just a rough noise, not quite a grunt. I smiled against his chest.

"Do you really want me to go to your retirement ceremony?"

"You promised, Babe."

"I'm not trying to get out of it!" I protested, laughing softly. "But I would like to have some idea about what will go on. And what I should wear. I don't want to embarrass you."

"You could never do that," he assured me, hugging me. Then his hand started rubbing up and down my arm, keeping me close. "There will be a lot of brass in uniforms there, and most of their wives will attend. The ceremony itself will probably be pretty boring."

"Will there be speeches?"

He sighed. "Probably."

"Will anyone be talking about you and all your achievements?" I asked.

"God, I hope not." He sounded so disgusted I had to laugh.

"Then what happens?"

"We'll get our formal, final discharge papers and there'll be lots of saluting and handshakes. Then there will be a dinner and dancing. Dancing with you will be the only part of the evening I'll actually enjoy."

I tilted my head up and kissed the underside of his jaw for saying something so nice, true or not. "What kind of dresses will the women be wearing?"

He made that almost-grunt sound again before he answered. "Mostly dinner dresses, I think they're called. Some may wear long dresses, and a few Hilary-wannabes will be wearing dress suits, but most will be wearing dresses between here," he drew an imaginary hem line across my leg mid-thigh, "and here." This time the line was mid-calf; tea-length. "Does that tell you what you want to know?"

"I think so. I just want to look nice for you."

"Babe," he smiled at me, "You always do. I'm sure we'll find something nice."

I sat up a little to look at him in shock. "_We?_ You want to come shopping with me?"

"I'd like to. Unless you'd rather just take my card?"

Ranger was volunteering to shop with me, _and_ buy my dress? "I'd like to have you with me but I can pay for my own dress."

"Aren't you going to need more than one?"

"What?"

"Well, there's the library fundraiser, Christmas – and I assume you'd like something new for that. Then there is the retirement dinner, and New Years' Eve. You'll need several new dresses and I'd like to buy them for you."

"That's a lot of mm--"

He cut off my protest by kissing me, and kept kissing me until I forgot what I'd been trying to say. Sneaky man.

"How would you like to go to New York for a few days? We can look for clothes and maybe do a little Christmas shopping. I was hoping maybe you could help me find something for Julia."

"Okay… I can help with Julia's gift." I had another thought. "Do you think you could help me find gifts for the guys?"

"Sure, Babe." His watch beeped, I jumped slightly, and he grinned. "That's our five-minute warning. Ella will be up with dinner in a few minutes."

He lifted me off his lap so I didn't have to struggle and we got ready for dinner.

I smelled the food when Ella got off the elevator and it made my mouth water. For the first time in ages I was more interested in dinner than in dessert – and that was saying something.

Bite-sized chunks of tender beef and slices of what I supposed were the portabella mushrooms – big brown mushrooms – laid on a bed of wild rice and shredded vegetables and drizzled with a clear brown sauce. Steamed broccoli added color to the plate and it all smelled wonderful.

I took my first bite almost before the plate touched the table, making Ranger chuckle. Ella stood by, hands clasped, waiting. A few moments later I turned to her.

"I love portabella mushrooms. This is fantastic."

Ella beamed, nodded at Ranger, and left. The door closed softly behind her.

"What was that all about?" Ranger asked.

"Earlier, Ella asked if I was allergic to any foods and if I liked this kind of mushroom. I had no idea what she was talking about."

He grinned at me between bites. "Ella likes to try new things. Lately it's been mushrooms. I think she's been growing them herself."

You could grow mushrooms on purpose? I must have had a strange look on my face because he continued. "I don't know how, either. If you're interested I'm sure she'd be happy to show you."

I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Right now I just wanted to enjoy them. I'd think about it later.

Everything was good. I even ate the broccoli. I finished everything on my plate and was too full for dessert just yet, so I helped Ranger clean up our small mess. It had become sort of a ritual. I rinsed the dishes and he wiped down the counter or table.

My nap had restored some of my energy but I knew Ranger was tired. "What would you like to do? Watch TV? Read? Listen to music? Work on Christmas lists?"

Ranger looked a little bemused. "I don't know, Babe. I'm not really used to having much down time. How do you mean work on Christmas lists?"

"Well," I explained, "when I'm not sure what I want to get someone as a gift I make a list of general ideas. Then usually when I'm shopping something will kind of jump out at me, feel right, you know?"

"I've never really thought about it."

"We could work on ideas for Julia and maybe some of the guys. Then we'll have a guide when we're shopping."

Ranger agreed, and I fetched the legal pad and pen I'd found in the kitchen drawer. Ranger turned on music from somewhere, so that it played softly in the background, and we sat back down at the table.

I wrote Julia's name on the first line and underlined it. "Okay, Julia is how old now? Eleven?"

"Almost twelve."

"What is she interested in? Anything and everything helps."

Ranger leaned his forearms on the table and his eyes lost focus slightly, and I guessed he was thinking about the daughter he'd only recently gotten to know.

"She likes music, she takes dance lessons, and she's interested in art. She doesn't like math much but she's not bad at it." His lips twitched up slightly. "She loves to shop. Is that a female thing?"

"Not entirely," I answered with a grin. "I've known a few guys that liked to shop, too – straight guys," I added before he could say anything else. "Ok… does Julia have an mp3 player? Or a cell phone?"

"She has an mp3 player. No phone yet."

I was scribbling down ideas. "Well, a phone you might want to discuss with Sasha first, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. She's getting to that age where her friends will have them, and she'll be going places with friends more often."

He looked thoughtful. "I'll ask Sasha about it. I can e-mail her at her office so Julia can't snoop."

"Okay. Other ideas – unless you know what kind of music she likes and what she's already got, a gift card would probably work better than CDs. Or maybe a card from an online place for mp3 downloads." I paused as an idea came to the surface. "Actually, some malls have cards good at any store in the mall, or you can get a prepaid debit card she can use anywhere – online for mp3 downloads, at the mall for clothes or dance stuff, bookstores, whatever. You can even add money to them from the internet. Of course, at her age she'd probably like to have some gifts to open and then a little spending money – not all one or the other."

"Yes, I can understand that. I don't know sizes for clothes or anything, though, so I still need ideas for gifts to open. Oh, and she likes to read but I don't know what."

"Well, girls like accessories. Cool purses, fashion jewelry, even a more interesting book bag for school would be good. But things Sasha won't object to, and probably things she can take to school so she can show her friends. That's very important to young teens. Do you know her favorite colors?"

"Right now, anything neon. Last time I saw her she was dressed in colors Lula would love." His lips twitched and I had to laugh at the mental picture. Okay, plenty of options for Juls.

We went on to the Merry Men, and I found I knew more about them than I thought. I could come up with at least one idea for most of them, and Ranger contributed ideas for the others based on their hobbies.

Ranger was looking thoughtful.

"What are you thinking?"

He gave me a faint smile. "I haven't been home for Christmas for years, so I haven't needed to shop. I sent gift certificates if I was state-side, or had time to arrange it, and some years there were special needs I could take care of. But I couldn't be there." He paused as if deciding something and then continued. "My family has always had their big gathering on Christmas Eve. There's a big family dinner, then the children get to open presents from the family, and then most of us would go to Midnight Mass. That way everyone got to have Christmas morning with their children at home or could share it with the other side of their families.

"This year I'd like to be there Christmas Eve," he said, meeting my eyes. "And I'd like very much if you'd go with me."

I had to remind myself to breathe. Meet Ranger's family on Christmas Eve? The _whole_ family?

"Babe." Ranger's amused tone snapped me out of my panic. "You don't have to decide this minute. It's still weeks away. You'll meet some of them before that and can decide then. I wouldn't spring them on you all at once."

"Okay." It came out almost a squeak.

I guess Ranger thought I needed reviving, because he got up and got the dessert out of the fridge – chocolate silk pie. He cut a big piece for me and took one only slightly smaller for himself. My first bite was fast, but after that I slowed down to enjoy the taste and texture. After a couple of bites Ranger asked me about my favorite childhood Christmas present. I had to think about it a moment and then told him about the year Valerie and I both got bicycles, and I learned to ride mine first. Of course, I also crashed mine first, but still. He laughed, his eyes dark and warm, and told me about the year he was nine and got a skateboard. He spent the rest of the winter shoveling the sidewalks so he could practice – something he now wondered if his mother had planned all along.

"My mother's sneaky that way," he said with a smile. "I guess she had to be with all of us. She usually had her hands full."

I had a hard time picturing Ranger as a child, usually, but I could easily see a stubborn little boy shoveling snow to meet his own goals. "I bet you got good at riding it, though, didn't you?"

"By spring I was a hot-shot on wheels," he said, and then he yawned.

I glanced up at the kitchen clock and saw it was after ten. I pushed the notepad and pen into the middle of the table and tugged Ranger out of his chair. "Come on, hot-shot, let's go to bed. It's been a long day."

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	50. Chapter 50

_**A/N: Fifty chapters! Are you tired of 'Divine Madness' yet? **__**LOL, my muse just keeps bouncing back and forth between stories…I've decided it's easier just to go along with it although I sometimes confuse myself. Hopefully I'm not confusing you, too! Let me know—reviews keep me warm and it's getting cold out!**_

_Disclaimer: I think we've memorized it by now haven't we? If not, see the previous forty-nine chapters…_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 50**_

Ranger woke me when he came back up from the gym and coaxed me into the shower with him. Half an hour later, clean but on rubbery legs, I staggered out to collapse on the bed. One would think that a person could build up a certain tolerance for anything over time, even Ranger-induced orgasms. One would be an idiot. I'd never get used to this, thank God.

I'd almost gotten my breathing back to normal when Ranger emerged from the closet fully dressed. He looked at me and his lips quirked up.

"Tempting me to play hooky?"

I thought about it and wondered if I could survive. Doubtful. I flailed my arm out and caught the edge of the sheet and dragged it towards me. I was laying on it so I only managed to cover my head.

Ranger chuckled. I loved that sound.

He came over to the bed and leaned down, peeling the sheet back and giving me an upside-down kiss. "Just so you know - that's not much of a deterrent. What are your plans today?"

"I don't know yet. What time is it?"

"It's almost eight."

"I will probably go check in at the bonds office this morning," I said. "Do you know when Tank and Lula leave for the weekend?"

"Tank said he was picking her up at the bonds office at four."

Watching his mouth move distracted me so much that I didn't catch the rest of what he said. He had to repeat it.

"There are always searches waiting downstairs if you want something to do," he repeated. "I'll be in the office this morning getting up to speed on what I missed while I was gone. I may be in the field this afternoon."

"Okay."

He moved around the end of the bed so we were facing right-side-up, braced his hands on the bed on either side of my head, and leaned down to kiss me. By the time he left to go downstairs my heart rate had nearly doubled, and I was breathing hard again.

_I've got to get in better shape_, I thought to myself as I rolled off the bed. I'm finally with Ranger where I wanted to be for so long and I'll be damned if I can't keep up with him.

It was a hell of a motivator.

I dried my hair, put a clean bandage over my stitches, and got dressed in jeans and a long sleeved thermal-knit shirt. The intercom on the phone rang as I was tying my boots. It was Ella, asking if I'd like anything for breakfast.

"Not this morning, Ella, but thanks. I'm going to the bonds office first thing and if I don't take donuts Connie and Lula might shoot me."

"Can't have that!" she laughed. "Have a good day."

I collected my gear, made sure my phone had a charge, and headed out. Bobby got on the elevator with me when it stopped at the fifth floor.

"Garage?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Are you heading home?" I asked. Usually when the Merry Men were working they moved in pairs.

"No, just going to pick up some supplies. How's your leg today? You're rubbing it."

My hand was fisted around the strap of my purse, but I was rubbing my knuckles across the denim over my thigh. I stopped when I realized Bobby was right. "It itches a little," I admitted. "That means it's healing, right?"

He grinned. "As long as it isn't red or swollen, that's probably all it is. If it gets worse let me know."

When the elevator opened he headed for one of the big black Broncos. I tossed my purse on the passenger seat of my Jeep and pulled on the scarf, gloves, and my warm coat, zipping it up before I climbed in behind the wheel. The Jeep started right up and I headed for the bakery.

Twenty minutes later I juggled my purse, coffee, and a bakery box through the door of the bonds office. Lula met me just inside and helpfully took the box.

I stomped my feet on the mat and shook my head before I stepped further inside. A light powdery snow had started to fall, glittering in the sun peeking through the clouds. It was pretty but annoying. But so far it was nothing to worry about.

"What are these?" Lula was asking, lifting something from the box.

"They're called bear claws. They have apple chunks inside them, and cinnamon. They smelled really good this morning so I thought we should try them. I got some donuts, too."

The bear claws looked like big glazed jelly donuts but had 'toes' cut along one edge. Inside the dough was a pocket full of cinnamon apple chunks. They were wonderful but a little messy. We had to eat them holding a napkin underneath our chins.

"Dang, these are good," Lula said when she was licking her fingers. "And they're probably healthy, too, since they've got fruit in them."

Probably not all that healthy since they were fried and glazed, but I guess actual apples were a step up from jelly.

I had a Boston crème for dessert and sat back to finish my coffee. "So, Lula, are you all set for your weekend?"

"I think so," she said. "I remembered your advice. I'm taking those little candles we bought, and my hair stuff." She laughed. "I'm so excited I can't even sit still. Tank said he plans for us to go out to dinner one night, and we might even go shopping."

"She's already done all the filing I had for today," Connie told me with a fond smile, watching Lula dance in place while she selected another donut. "I'd tell her she could go home but I don't think she would. At least here she has me to talk to."

"And more room to dance," I added. "I take it there aren't any skips today?"

"Not so far. I'll call if anything comes in."

"Okay." I waved goodbye and headed back into the glittering snow. I let the Jeep warm up while I decided what to do next. Mom, Dad, and Grandma were all out of town, which felt odd. I drove to my apartment and checked on things, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything perishable in the fridge and rechecking the window locks. I checked my messages and cleared them, resetting the machine. I called Mary Lou. She was headed out to do her big weekly grocery run while the boys were at school.

I locked the apartment up and decided to drive by my parents' house. I wasn't sure when they were planning to come home. There was a black Bronco pulling away from the curb when I turned the corner, and the driveway, walks, and porch steps had been cleared. I didn't stop. Whoever had cleared the snow would have checked the house, too. All the Merry Men were thorough.

I drove back to Haywood and headed up to the fifth floor, deciding to make myself useful. 'My' cubicle was vacant. I dumped my purse and coat and turned on the computer, then headed to the break room for some coffee. Lester spotted me.

"Hey, Steph!" he greeted me with a big smile. "What are you up to?"

"I thought I'd run some searches. Ranger says there is a stack piling up, and I don't have anything going on."

"Bless you, bless you," he said, grabbing my hand and kissing it. "I've been working on them but I can't keep up. Where will you be working? I'll bring you some."

"In my old cubicle. It didn't look busy."

"Nope, we saved it for you. Hey, I have next Friday night off! So who is this woman you want me to meet?"

"I'm not going to spoil the surprise," I laughed, walking backwards toward the break room. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Lester turned away chuckling. I turned to go into the break room and bounced off of Tank. He caught me by my arms to keep me from falling on my butt, his smile white in his dark face.

"Easy there, Bombshell. Ranger put you back to work?"

"I don't have anything going on so I thought I'd help out with some searches." I grinned at him because he was still smiling. "I stopped in at the bonds office. Lula can't sit still, she's so excited."

"I keep telling her, it's just a house," he said.

"But it's _your_ house, big guy," I said, patting his massive arm. "That's what she's excited about."

I made it back to my desk without further incident, armed with a big mug of coffee. I found one file in the inbox on the desk that had been there for a while. It was from Rodriguez, and marked as low priority, but I started it anyway.

I was leaning back in the chair watching the screen when Lester came in with a stack of files.

"Here are some—ah, I see Rodriguez left you a present. That guy really misses you. You're the only one that ever came close to keeping up with all his requests."

"What does he even look like?" I asked in exasperation. "I don't think I've ever met him. Does he only work nights? Is he invisible? He **is** a real person, isn't he?"

Lester gave a startled laugh. "Oh, he's real. He does a lot of the first-contact legwork with clients, though, so he's out of the office a lot. I'll try to introduce you next time he comes in."

"Okay."

"Does your leg hurt?"

"What?"

"You're rubbing it. Does it hurt?"

I was doing it again. Rubbing it did hurt a little, but the itch was more annoying. "It's much better, but it's starting to itch. It's just annoying."

"Oh, yeah, I hate it when stitches itch. At least you can reach those to rub them. It's torture when they're in the middle of your back. Just try not to rub too hard."

He went back to work. I spent a few minutes wondering what would leave him with stitches in the middle of his back, then shuddered. Maybe I didn't want to know. My imagination was too vivid as it was.

I arranged the search files by priority, printed the first search and started the next one. I was working on the third when Ranger found me.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back?"

"I didn't want to bother you, and I figured I'd come find you at lunchtime." I glanced at the time on the computer and saw it was only eleven. Then I noticed the files in Ranger's hand. "What brings you out here?"

Ranger glanced at the files. "I came out to snag someone to take this paperwork back to the bonds office."

"I'll run them over. This search just started so it'll probably take a while anyway."

"Thanks, Babe."

I buzzed the files over to the bonds office, where Connie and Lula were deciding what to eat for lunch. I dropped them off and avoided getting sucked in to the chicken versus Chinese debate, and headed back to RangeMan, arriving just in time to have lunch with Ranger.

I spent the rest of the afternoon working steadily through the stack of search requests. Most of them were pretty mundane. One had some items pop up that prompted me to do some more research, but a little more digging cleared it all up. All in all it was pretty boring but like the saying goes, if I didn't do it someone else would have to. Better me than an able-bodied better-qualified RangeMan.

Several times I caught myself rubbing my thigh. I don't know if it was really itching more or if it only seemed that way because I was bored and noticing it, but it was really getting irritating. I took a break and went to the bathroom to look at it. No, it wasn't red or oozing or anything, although there was a pinkish mark where I'd rubbed the denim against my skin. I ran upstairs and cleaned it, putting a new bandage over it. Maybe that would help.

It didn't.

At four-thirty I gave up, printed out the last search and shut the computer down for the night. I was tired of sitting, getting cranky about the itch, and my stomach had been growling for the past hour. I gathered up my paraphernalia, carried my coffee mug back to the breakroom, and headed upstairs.

It was cold outside but in Ranger's apartment it was nice and warm. I stripped and pulled on an oversized much-washed t-shirt. It was soft and comfortable and what I usually wore when I felt out of sorts. I carried a pair of sweatpants into the bathroom with me and pulled the bandage off my leg again, frowning down at the neat row of stitches.

Grumbling, I cleaned it again thoroughly then slathered it with antibiotic salve, rubbing it in gingerly. Slapping another clean bandage over it, I put on the pants and went to raid the refrigerator. Maybe eating would distract me.

Ranger came home and caught me with my head in the fridge. He immediately picked up the phone and asked Ella if we could have dinner right away.

"I could have waited," I protested.

"I'm hungry, too, Babe. I have been for the past half hour. I was afraid the client would hear my stomach growl before I finished going over everything with him." He hugged me and kissed my forehead. "I'm going to change clothes. Ella said she'd be up in a few."

I answered her knock just a few moments later, and she carried a tray to the table. I fixed myself a Coke over ice and a glass of ice water for Ranger. Ella set out plates of grilled chicken breasts with a sautéed mix of vegetables and mushrooms on the side. She put a tossed salad and a basket of hot, fresh breadsticks in the middle of the table. When she stepped back she quirked an eyebrow at me and I gave her two thumbs up. She left without a word but with a big smile on her face.

The food smelled heavenly and I snitched a breadstick. Ranger caught me.

"No fair starting without me," he teased, taking his seat. He looked at his plate and then back up at me. "A different kind of mushrooms tonight – see, I told you."

I grinned and tried one. It was lightly sautéed, not mushy, and it had some kind of seasoning on it that was slightly spicy. Yummy. I tried a bite of something green – maybe it was squash – and it was yummy, too. So was the chicken. Maybe I made a noise, because I looked up to find Ranger watching me with a smile that was more in his eyes than in his face.

"It's good," I defended myself.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. He smiled but didn't say anything else, just went back to eating. I did, too, and enjoyed every bite. I completely forgot about my itchy stitches until after the dishes had been taken care of and we'd settled on the sofa to unwind with a little television.

Ranger turned on some National Geographic show about ocean life that was in HD. On the big-screen TV it was breathtaking to watch. The commentary got boring and we started talking lazily about ideas for Christmas presents again, and pretty soon Ranger turned the sound off completely.

We were sprawled on the sofa tossing around gift ideas for Lula when Ranger's hand caught mine, pulling it away from my thigh…again.

"Do your stitches hurt, Babe? Did we pull them this morning?"

I sighed before I could catch it. "They don't hurt, and I don't think they're pulled. They look fine. But they've been itching all day and they're driving me crazy."

"What have you tried?"

I told him about checking them, cleaning them twice and slathering them with salve. He nodded.

"On a scale of one to ten," he began with a small smile, "how bad do they itch?"

I poked him for using the stupid scale thing doctors love, but I answered anyway. "A seven, easy."

He nodded again and started untangling himself to push up off the sofa, and I immediately felt guilty. He shouldn't have to take care of me. But his ESP must have kicked in because he chided me. "You'd take care of me, wouldn't you? You did when I got home."

I wasn't sure being his teddy bear really counted as 'help' but before I could argue, he'd fetched another chemical icepack from the supply under the bathroom sink. He squeezed it with one hand to mix the chemicals and offered the other to pull me up off the sofa.

"Let's go--" he started, but my cell phone rang on the coffee table.

I grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It wasn't a number I recognized. I debated, but answered it on the fourth ring. It was Juanita from the mystery tour. The bus was getting ready to leave and they couldn't find Grandma.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

TBC…


	51. Chapter 51

_Disclaimer: The characters from the books belong to JE; the story and the other odd characters belong to me._

_**A/N: Is it a bad sign when people keep calling me 'evil' in my reviews? And why does everyone assume *I* did anything to Grandma? She's perfectly capable of getting into trouble all by herself!**_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 51**_

Juanita, the female tour guide, sounded wound up and was talking really fast. I had to ask several times before she slowed down enough that I could understand what she was actually saying.

They had stopped at Fort Fisher, a historic civil war site, for a tour and a catered picnic dinner. There had been free time after the meal for the tourists to look around a little more, but it was more than half an hour past the time for them to head to their hotel for the night and Grandma hadn't come back to the bus. One of their gentlemen was missing, too.

Why was I not surprised?

"Where have you looked?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

They'd searched the gift shop, the fort itself, and had combed the fort's grounds. "Someone said they thought she'd gone down to the beach, but Jason went to look and there's no sign of them."

Okay, so now I was getting a little worried… then I remembered Grandma's new phone.

"I'm going to let you go for just a minute, Juanita, and I'll call you right back. Okay?" I disconnected and took a shaky breath.

Ranger sat back down next to me and put his arm around me. "Has Grandma gone AWOL?" he asked softly.

"Maybe. They can't find her and it's time for the bus to head for the hotel. I'm going to try her phone," I explained. He didn't say anything, just nodded. I appreciated the quiet support of his arm, though. I flipped my phone back open and dialed.

One ring, two…three. Grandma answered on the fourth ring, sounding a little breathless.

"Stephanie? What's up? Is everything okay?"

I shook my head and let myself sag into Ranger's arm. "You tell me. I just got a call from Juanita the tour guide saying you were missing. Where are you?"

"Me and Ernie went for a walk on the beach. We were talking and didn't realize how far we'd walked until it started to get dark. We turned around and headed back as fast as we can and I think we're almost there -- we can see lights -- but its dark enough now that we keep tripping over the damned seaweed."

"Okay, Grandma. I'll call and tell them where you are. Maybe someone from the tour can come out with flashlights. Be careful that you don't fall before they get to you!" I said goodbye and hung up, then immediately called Juanita back. "She answered her phone, she's okay. She and a gentleman named Ernie went for a walk on the beach and went further than they realized. They're within sight of the lights now but in the dark they're tripping over seaweed. Could someone maybe take a couple of flashlights down to light their way?" I waited as she covered her phone to call out instructions to someone. When she came back on the line I caught her before she could hang up. "Before you hang up, let me give you Grandma – Edna's – cell phone number. She got the phone right before she left and none of us thought to give the number to you, and I apologize for that." I let her get a pen and then recited the number slowly and clearly, and apologized again for Grandma's being late.

"It's all right, Ms. Plum, things like this happen. I'm just glad they're okay." She sounded relieved, and was talking at normal speed now. "I hope I didn't upset you, calling like that."

"No, you didn't. Unfortunately I'm kind of used to it."

Juanita laughed. "Yes, I've noticed that Edna is quite feisty! Anyway, I'm sorry I disrupted your evening, and thank you for Edna's phone number."

"It was no problem," I reassured her, and we said goodbye.

I curled into Ranger and his arms closed around me reassuringly. "She's fine," I repeated out loud even though he'd heard me explain to Juanita where Grandma was.

"It was a good thing you thought to get her a phone," Ranger said, rubbing my back.

"I didn't get it, Valerie did."

"It was your idea," he said, "and it worked out well. Now come on, let's go to bed."

As he pulled me to my feet I noticed he'd turned off the TV while I was on the phone. I headed to the bathroom first to take off my makeup and brush my teeth. While he took his turn I undressed and tossed my clothes into the laundry hamper, then crawled under the covers with the ice pack. By the time Ranger joined me the cold had numbed the itch, enough so that my mind turned to other things – namely the warm hard man next to me.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

Saturday morning Ranger woke me around eight so that he could look at my stitches and ask how they felt before he went downstairs.

"I've got a few things I want to take care of before we go to New York," he explained.

"Try to take it easy on your leg today if you can. It looks fine, but if it keeps bothering you get Bobby to look at it. He may have something that will help. Barring emergencies we should be able to leave for New York tomorrow morning."

I really hoped nothing came up to interfere with our plans. I was looking forward to seeing how Ranger shopped, which was probably silly but still... My leg developing an infection or something would seriously tick me off.

Ranger was watching me think and the corners of his eyes were crinkling. "Call me if you want to have lunch," he added, then he kissed me and headed out.

I sighed and snuggled back down into the pillows hoping for another hour's sleep but my leg started itching again. It felt like there were ants crawling under my skin. I tried to ignore it but after a few minutes I couldn't stand it anymore and threw back the covers to glare at the bandage.

WHY! Why was it itching? I got up and used the bathroom, then peeled the bandage off and half-sat on the vanity where I could see it with good light. It looked fine, just like Ranger said. It wasn't red or puffy, the stitches weren't crusty or pulling, and the bruising had faded to that faint greenish tinge. It was much less tender to the touch, too, but I doubted very seriously that I should scratch it.

Sighing, I took a quick shower and patted the stitches dry, then ran conditioner through my hair and dried it. I put a plain giant bandage over the stitches and got dressed in a RangeMan polo shirt and a pair of shorts. I'd get Bobby to look at them.

When I called the control room to find out where Bobby was he answered the phone, and said he'd meet me at the elevator on six.

"Six?" I repeated dumbly. "I thought Ella and Luis lived on six?"

"They do," he said with a chuckle, "But their apartment doesn't take up the entire floor. Just to the right of the elevator is an area set up as an infirmary where we can take care of minor wounds, and there are a couple of beds for the rare occasion someone is sick enough to need watching."

Okay, I was learning new things about RangeMan all the time.

Bobby was waiting when the elevator opened as promised, and he led the way into the first door to the right. It looked like a cross between a doctor's exam room and a cubicle in the ER, with an adjustable-height gurney in the center of the floor space. The walls were lined with counters and overhead cupboards, all neatly labeled with their contents. A dorm-sized refrigerator sat in the corner of one of the countertops. A stainless-steel rolling stool was tucked under one of the countertops and a small armchair sat in the corner by the door.

Bobby pressed a footpad with the toe of his boot and the gurney lowered enough that I could sit down without having to climb.

"Have a seat and get comfortable," he said. He went to the sink and washed his hands thoroughly, drying them on paper towels. When he turned back I'd arranged myself as comfortably as possible while making my stitches easily accessible.

Hooking the stool with one foot and pulling a wall-mounted light closer with one hand, Bobby seated himself next to me and turned on the light. I reached down and peeled the bandage off to get that out of the way.

"It looks fine," he said after he'd looked and prodded it gently. "It itches? How much?"

"It feels like ants are crawling under my skin," I told him. "It's driving me nuts."

"I wonder..." he started, then trailed off. "I'm going to call your doctor. Want to wait, or do you have things to do?"

I could start packing, but that wasn't something urgent. Right now, getting these damned stitches to stop itching was my top priority. "I'll wait." I thought about getting off the gurney and sitting in the chair, but it didn't seem worth the effort. Bobby stepped back and leaned on the counter as he made the call from his cell. There was a wait until he the doctor came on the line, apparently, and I found my thoughts wandering to the upcoming trip to New York and what I was going to wear.

"Do you have any allergies, Steph?"

I re-focused to find Bobby was right next to me again. He still had his phone to his ear.

I shook my head. "Not that I know of."

He relayed that to the doctor. As he listened he reached out and prodded gently around the stitches again. His skin was very dark against my pale thigh. Tank's skin was a lot darker than Bobby's, and Lula's was somewhere in between. Now that I thought about it, my friends were a wide variety of hues – Lester was kind of golden, Woody was the color of light toast, Cal was browner, and Hal was nearly as white as me. Hector was caramel, Max was cinnamon-y, Joe was olive-skinned…and of course Ranger had yummy mocha latte.

Bobby's hand waved in front of my face and my eyes snapped up to see his grinning face. "Earth to Steph… Not getting enough sleep?"

Actually, my brain was playing free-association games to distract me from thinking about medical stuff – but I wasn't going to admit that to Bobby. It was bad enough that everyone knew I hated going to the emergency room for stitches. I wasn't about to admit that I was a wimp when it came to getting them removed, too. So I just gave him a little grin and kept my mouth shut.

"Well, I think - and the doctor agrees - that you may be having a mild allergic reaction to the type of suture used for your stitches. He said we could go ahead and take the stitches out. I can put a few butterfly bandages across it to make sure it doesn't open back up, but you're healing so well I really don't think that will be a problem."

"Okay," I agreed, relieved. I was really afraid it was infected.

"Do you want me to take you to the doctor to have the stitches out?" he asked.

"Not really," I answered, and I know my face probably scrunched up. I didn't like going to the doctor for any reason. "Can you do it?"

"Sure, sweetheart, if it's okay with you."

"Let's do it."

"You want to stay sitting up, or lie back?"

I elected to lie back – that way I was less likely to fall off the gurney if I passed out. Bobby adjusted the gurney and pillow then turned to collected a few things while I got situated and gave myself a mental pep-talk. He rolled a stand with a paper-covered tray on it over and re-adjusted the light.

"You remember it stings a little when they come out, right?"

When I nodded he continued. "I'm going to swab the area with a disinfectant first so no germs get pulled in. Then we'll get those stitches out."

The disinfectant was cold and smelled sharp like alcohol, but it didn't sting. Bobby's touch was gentle and deft as he clipped each stitch close to the skin and pulled them out. I managed not to flinch after the first one, and thankfully there weren't many. When they were all out he blotted away a few tiny drops of blood and then opened a small tube of ointment. He used a swab to smooth a thin film of it over the area.

"What's that?"

"This has an antibiotic and hydrocortisone in it. It will help prevent infection, lessen scarring - and hopefully help finish off the itch." He put the lid back on the tube and continued, "I didn't put butterfly bandages across it because I don't think you'll need them, but there is a slight chance the incision could reopen if you get hit there. If you think you might be rough on it you can clean the ointment off and put these on as insurance." He handed me a pack of little butterfly strips and the little tube of ointment, and then re-bandaged my leg. When he was done he disposed of the sutures, swabs, and bandage wrappers along with the paper liner from the tray, then rolled his stool back and looked at me.

"Well? Any aching, stinging, or itching?"

I sat still and concentrated on my leg for a moment, and then started to smile. "No more itch! I think that was it. Thank you, Bobby! That was really driving me crazy."

"Good," he smiled back. "Treat it gently for a few more days. And come see me if it starts to bother you again."

I went upstairs to change the shorts for black jeans and found the little stack of flyers I'd gotten from Elsie about the fundraiser. I took them with me when I went back down to five. Cal was on monitors told me Ranger and Woody had gone to meet with a new client and would probably be gone for a while. I decided to keep busy and run some more searches in my cubicle. As I passed Lester's desk I gave the flyers and asked him to put them up where the guys would all see them.

At eleven-thirty Ella came to find me. "It's lunchtime, dear," she reminded me with a smile. "Ranger just called and is on his way up to seven if you want to eat together."

I looked at the clock in surprise. "Thanks, Ella, I didn't realize the time." Putting the search I'd just completed in the outbox I followed Ella to the elevator. She got off on six and I went on up to the apartment.

Ranger's keys were in the tray but he wasn't in the kitchen or living room. I found him in the bathroom drying his face. His meeting had been to determine placement for various monitoring equipment, and I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"One of those mornings?" I asked.

Dropping the towel back on the rack, he stretched his back and then reached for me, pulling me into a hug.

"Nervous and neurotic," he said briefly of the new client, "but willing to pay for the coverage they want so I guess it works out. How is your leg?"

I heard Ella come in and the muted clatter of plates and tugged him toward the door.

"Bobby figured out it was the thread stuff and got the doctor's okay to take the stitches out. Now it feels fine - no more itch!"

He didn't reply, just smiled.

Lunch was relaxed and quiet. Ranger didn't seem to be in a hurry to go back downstairs and after we finished eating he spent twenty minutes sprawled in the recliner with me in his lap. His eyes were closed but he wasn't dozing, he wasn't kissing me, he was just holding me. I loved the quiet closeness and felt like I was being recharged.

When he took a deep breath I knew he was ready to move again and pressed a quick kiss to his jaw before I sat up.

"Not so fast," he said, catching me back before I could get up and giving me a proper kiss. After a few more minutes, when I could refocus, he said, "This afternoon Ella would like to come up and help pack for our trip. Is that okay?"

It was fine with me. I could pack for myself but didn't think I'd be comfortable packing for Ranger yet. He headed back downstairs to make notes on the client meeting while it was fresh in his mind. I headed for the computer in his small office to look up the weather forecast for New York.

It was supposed to be cold and breezy with a chance of flurries. I headed into the closet.

When Ella came in I had two sets of comfortable shopping clothes for myself laid out on the bed complete with socks, underwear and low-heeled shoes. The clothes I planned to wear on the drive tomorrow were folded on the chair in the corner and I was staring into space wondering what I was forgetting.

"You might want to have at least one dinner dress," Ella suggested after she'd looked over the collection.

I wasn't sure I'd have the energy to go out after a day of shopping but there would probably be time after we arrived Sunday. What kind of place would Ranger want to go to eat? Fancy? Casual? Ella must have read the indecision on my face because she went into the closet and came back out with a simple dress in deep royal blue.

It was a nice dress. The style was a simple princess-cut, almost knee-length, with a scoop neck and three-quarter length sleeves. The fabric was soft and rich, almost like velvet. It would be comfortable to wear and fit in anywhere. Nice choice. I'd never seen it before, though, so I wonder how it got in the closet?

Ella just chuckled when I asked, then asked if I minded sharing luggage with Ranger.

I didn't mind. The idea of Ella packing our clothes together gave me goosebumps, though, and I felt silly and self-conscious. As a result I found myself adding one of my cute pajama sets to the items on the bed.

I was probably more in Ella's way than helpful. I followed her into the closet and watched as she pulled out a medium sized suitcase and a suit bag. She put them on the bed and went back, selecting jeans, long sleeved knit shirts, black slacks and jacket, and a black silk shirt for Ranger. I added a pair of black silk boxers from the drawer that now held several pairs and I think Ella hid a smile.

Ranger evidently had a separate shaving kit for when he traveled, probably because he did so much of it. Ella took it out of a drawer in the bathroom and I heard her checking to make sure all the contents were full. I gave up 'helping' and took my purse out to the dining room. I needed to clean it out and I needed to get out of Ella's way.

I carefully dumped the contents onto the table after first laying a folded bath towel over the wood. My gun still landed with a thud that made me wince and I hoped it hadn't dented the tabletop. After picking out all the wadded candy wrappers and lists and tissues and tossing them in the trash, I began sorting through the rest. I cleaned old receipts out of my wallet and made sure my credit cards and ID were where they belonged, and that I had some cash. I laid aside my handcuffs - surely I wouldn't need them in New York? - and my gun. I doubted I'd need it and Ranger would be carrying anyway. I checked the charge on my stun gun and put it with my wallet. Better to be safe.

I finished my sorting by tossing an empty gum package and a lipstick that had gotten smushed into the lid. I shook the lint out of the purse lining and put my things back inside except for my little notebook.

I fetched the shopping list we'd made, copied it to my notebook, and dropped it and a couple of ink pens into my purse. I was leaning back debating whether or not to replenish my emergency candy bar stash when Ella came out of the bedroom.

"Would you like anything in particular for dinner? Or for breakfast in the morning?" she asked.

"Could you make those breakfast burritos for in the morning? I don't know what time Ranger wants to leave and the one I had before was wonderful."

"Of course! I can put them in the refrigerator tonight and they'll be ready whenever you want them."

Before we could talk about dinner, my cell rang. The caller ID said it was my parent's house.

"Stephanie, I just wanted to call and let you know we just got home." It was my father. I could count on one hand the number of times my father had called me on the phone so I was more than a little shocked.

"Where's mom?" I asked. She always did the calling…was she okay?

"She's fine, she got sleepy in the car on the ride home so she's taking a nap."

"Oh."

"I see someone shoveled the snow for me while we were gone. Can you thank them and let them know I appreciate it?"

"I'm not sure which one of the guys did it, but I'll let them know. So, did you enjoy yourselves in Atlantic City? Win any money?"

He chuckled. "We had a blast. We went through about two hundred dollars in the casino but we hit a couple of small jackpots so I think we came out about even, and the suite was incredible. Your mom did some shopping and we ate at a seafood buffet that was so huge I don't think I even got to taste everything."

I grinned. I didn't even know my dad _liked_ seafood.

"Anyway," he was continuing, "I was wondering if you and your Ranger had plans for dinner tonight. It's our last night before Edna's due back, and if you're not busy we'd like to take you out as a thank-you."

"I'll ask Ranger, but as far as I know we don't have plans yet. Can I call you back in just a little while?"

"Sure, Pumpkin."

"Um…Dad?" It had just occurred to me that my parents might not have heard about the ricochet incident yet, and I wanted to tell him up front and get it out of the way. "I forgot to mention this because it happened the afternoon before you left for Atlantic City, but…" I explained as briefly as possible about the incident, emphasizing that the injury was extremely minor – the stitches had been more irksome – and that I was fine. I didn't want Mom making a fuss if we ate dinner together.

"I'll make sure she knows beforehand," Dad reassured me. "Let me know about dinner."

I looked around but Ella had gone, leaving a note on the bar that just said to call if we decided to stay in for dinner. I opened my phone and called Ranger's office. He answered on the second ring. I explained my father's phone call quickly and asked if he would mind eating with my parents.

He was fine with it and just said to just let him know what time.

I called my dad back and we agreed on a time, then talked about options for where. I knew they'd been to Pino's, and Dad wouldn't enjoy getting dressed up for Rossini's, so I suggested the little Greek place Cal had taken me to. It was another different thing to try so my Dad was all for it. Feeling brave, I said we'd pick them up. If we took the Cayenne we'd all fit comfortably, and I didn't think Ranger would mind driving.

I called Ranger back with the details, eyeing the clock as I hung up. If I hurried, I could make a fast trip to my apartment to raid my candy stash, polish my nails, and grab the cash I had hidden there. When my eyes dropped I realized I was staring at my gun and handcuffs still lying on the towel. Sighing, I picked them up and dropped them back into my purse. Leaving them here would probably just be tempting fate.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	52. Chapter 52

_**Disclaimer: Characters from the books are property of JE and I'm playing with them without her permission.**_

_A/N: My Spanish is pretty sketchy at best, so translations are courtesy of BabelFish. Any errors are probably due to my ignorance. Short chapter today, my muse is being onery…_

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 52**_

I didn't intend to be gone long but just in case, I left Ranger a note telling him where I'd gone. Then I grabbed my coat and my purse and headed out.

The powdery snow from the day before had added up to less than an inch, but today the wind was stirring it and making little drifts. It was cold. The sun was shining and reflecting off the snow enough to make me wish I had my sunglasses. But the roads were good and I make it to my apartment quickly.

Mrs. Bessler was in the elevator.

"Stephanie! I haven't seen you around much lately. Is everything okay?"

"Just fine, Mrs. Bessler. I've been spending some time with a friend."

"Going up! Second floor, sporting goods and outerwear."

That was a new one. I guess nothing much had happened lately to give her inspiration. And that was a good thing.

The apartment was quiet and still but thankfully didn't smell funky. I'd been afraid I'd missed something in my hurried cleaning. I dropped my coat on the sofa and headed into the kitchen.

My candy-bar stash was in the second drawer down, under the small pile of kitchen towels. There were eleven left. I gathered them up, using one of the towels to bundle them up. Then I opened my oven, felt around inside the top, and pulled off the envelope I'd taped there some time ago with my emergency cash. The envelope was still sealed and reassuringly thick. There was just over a thousand dollars in it, mostly in large bills. I'd stashed it from a big payout after a particularly bad month, just in case. It had stayed there untouched for a year.

I fished the loose bullets out of my cookie jar and added them to the growing pile in the towel, and headed into the bedroom.

Leaving the towel bundle on the bed, I headed into the bathroom to get my curling iron, some hair-ties and barrettes, and a compact of 'dress-up' eyeshadow. I also got the little plastic tub out from under the sink that held all my manicure stuff – nail polish, polish remover, little rhinestone design stickers and all that jazz.

I dug through my shoes until I found the pair of heeled pumps with a jeweled buckle on the ankle strap. The search also unearthed a pair of dark blue heels that might match the dress… I put them both on the bed and found an evening bag that would go good with the dress, and got out my nice dress coat.

Surveying the pile on the bed I sighed. Once again, there was more than was easy to carry.

I was pushing the spilled shoes back into the closet and knocked over my old briefcase from E.E. Martin. Hmm. That might work.

I stuffed the candy bars, cash, eyeshadow, and the loose bullets into my purse. The briefcase was empty – I'd long ago tossed out the last of my business paraphernalia from my buyer job – and the upper section made for file folders held the curling iron and hair ties just fine. I dumped the contents of the plastic tub into the bottom of the case with my eyes closed, hoping nothing broke, then closed it and carefully picked it up. It was heavy but not too bad. I gave it a fairly stout shake to see if the latches held and it rattled but stayed put. All right.

I put my jacket back on, slung my purse over my shoulder, and picked up my coat and the briefcase. I double-checked the lights and locks, and headed back out to the Jeep.

The sun was getting low in the sky although the radio said it was just after four. I might have to wait until after dinner to do my nails.

There were cars stopped on Haywood as I neared the RangeMan building. As I crept closer the reason became clear. A little green car had rear-ended a beat-up white mini-van, and traffic was blocked on one side. A Trenton PD car was there, and a young cop I didn't recognize was trying to direct traffic through the one open lane.

It would take forever to get to the garage entrance. I sighed and pulled the Jeep to the curb. As I stopped I saw that Hal was on the sidewalk in front of the garage. He saw me stop and jogged down to me.

"Hey, Steph," he greeted me as he opened my door. "I think it's going to take a while for that accident to get cleared. If you want to give me your keys, I'll put your Jeep in the garage later."

"Thanks, Hal," I smiled. "I appreciate it. If it sits out here overnight I'm afraid it wouldn't start. It's getting cold." I grabbed my stuff and gave him my keys and set off for the little-used front entrance of the building.

Cold air swirled around my ankles, unprotected by my tennis shoes. My jeans were long enough but loose at the bottoms, and I hadn't planned to be walking in this. I should make it more of a priority to be dressed for the weather, especially with my luck.

I pulled the door open and entered with a light swirl of snow, glad to be inside where it was warm. I took three steps toward the elevator and the security desk and stopped short. A short, elderly Hispanic woman was going full spate in Spanish at the guard, and from the look on his face, he didn't understand a word.

It was a new guy – I couldn't think of his name, but I remembered he was from Minnesota. Alex? Aaron? He'd gotten up and come around to the end of the desk, between the woman and the elevator doors, and had his hands out in front of him. He was either trying to stop her or get her to calm down so he could talk to her, or both. His eyes met mine over her head and his face went hopeful.

"S-Steph," he stumbled over my name a bit but it didn't slow him down. "Can you call one of the guys that speak Spanish? I'm having a communications problem, and she seems to be getting angry."

His name was Alex, I remembered, and his second language was French. I flashed a reassuring smile at him and the woman, who had turned to see who he'd spoken to, and shuffled my coat and briefcase to dig my phone from my pocket.

"_Un momento_," I said, and she fired a stream of rapid Spanish at me. I only caught a few words. I had my phone out of my pocket but decided to take a shot. "_Hable lentamente, por favor_," I said. {_Speak slowly, please.}_

"_Quiero solamente visitar a mi nieto. Éste no me dejará ir arriba."_ she said more slowly. _{I only want to visit my grandson. This one will not let me go above.}_

Okay, I understood that. But who was her grandson? _"__¿Cuál es el nombre de su nieto?"_ I asked. {_What is the name of your grandson?}_ I had my thumb on the speed-dial number for the control room.

"Ricardo."

Oh, crap. That name didn't need any translating. And I was pretty damn sure there was only one man here by that name. I screwed up my courage, moved my thumb to a different number, and asked one more question.

"_¿Es usted abuela Rosa a Ricardo?" {Are you grandmother Rosa to Ricardo?}_

"_Si."_

I hit the button to call Ranger.

He answered on the second ring.

"Babe, I just came upstairs and found your note. Where are you?"

"I'm in the lobby. Can you come down? I think your grandmother is here."

He disconnected abruptly, something he'd been getting better about. I forgave him this time because I was pretty sure he hadn't been expecting this visit. I didn't know enough about his family yet to guess if this was a good or a bad surprise.

"_Él está viniendo,"_ I told her. {_He is coming.} _Then I turned to Alex and gave him another smile. "Its okay, Alex. Ranger is on his way down."

Alex moved back behind the desk but stayed on his feet. By the look on his face he couldn't decide if Ranger coming down was going to reflect badly on him. Personally I didn't think so, but Alex needed to work on his blank-face if he was going to last on this job.

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_


	53. Chapter 53

_**Disclaimer: If you've read this far, you already know which people are mine and which belong to JE!**_

_A/N: I apologize for the long wait. My muse has been in hiding!_

_Thanks to the ladies at Rangeman for beta-ing and getting my muse out of that hole! And especially to Alfonsina.d for fixing my poor Spanish…any remaining mistakes are all mine. English inside {these} are things 'spoken' in Spanish and translated in Stephanie's head._

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**Chapter 53**_

_Abeula_ Rosa was looking at me curiously when I turned back around, and I tried to smile at her. She looked nothing like Joe's Grandma Bella, which I suppose I had subconsciously been expecting. Bella was skinny and always dressed in black with a fixed look of doom on her face. Rosa was short and a little on the curvy side, dressed in blue wool slacks, black boots, and a blue and black plaid coat. Her face was creased with lines, mostly around her eyes and mouth – laugh lines. When she smiled back I realized Ranger had inherited her smile.

Just as I realized she was waiting for me to introduce myself, the elevator doors opened and Ranger stepped out. He had changed out of his work clothes and was wearing black jeans and a dark gray sweater. He looked between his grandmother and me and then gave her a quizzical look.

"_Abuela,_" he said, bending to hug her, "_por que estas aqui_?" {_why are you here?}_

She spoke too fast for me to get everything, but I caught something about a train, and Celia - which I remembered was one of his sisters' names, then she gestured to Alex and me and I assumed she was saying Alex wouldn't let her go upstairs.

Now Ranger was giving me the quirked eyebrow, although he had the beginnings of a smile on his face, too. "Babe, she says you understood her. Since when do you know Spanish?"

"I learned a little while you were gone." I sounded a little defensive even to myself. "It helped the time pass."

His grin flashed. _"__Ya puedes entenderme__?" {You can understand me now?}_

"_Si hablas lentamente, puedo entenderte__." {If you speak slowly, I can understand you.} _I said.

With one arm still around his grandmother he reached for me, pulling me close enough to press a kiss to my temple. He was still smiling but his eyes had gone dark.

_Let's go up where we can sit down,_ he said in Spanish as he ushered us into the elevator. {_Abuela says Celia was to meet her at the train station and drive her back to Newark, but she caught an earlier train. She decided to come see me while she waited for Celia to get here.}_ He explained a little slower so I could follow. {_She has not been here since I bought this building.}_

I nodded that I understood, but couldn't keep from stiffening. Ranger felt it. "Maybe I should wait…" I whispered, but he shook his head and propelled me out when the doors opened on seven.

"No hiding," he chided me softly. Then he opened the apartment door and held it for us. Rosa went right in without hesitation, looking around with interest. I would bet she didn't miss any details. I hoped I hadn't left a mess anywhere, but I guess Ella had been up – the towel I'd left on the table was gone.

I dropped my coat over the back of one of the dining room chairs and put my briefcase next to it as Ranger led his grandmother to the more comfortable living room. She perched on the edge of the sofa with a soft sigh and smiled at her grandson.

_{We did not have the chance to introduce ourselves downstairs, Rico,} _she prodded him gently. {_Although she seems to know who I am.}_

_{My apologies, Abuela. This is Stephanie Plum.}_

I wasn't entirely sure of my social skills but I gave it a try. I moved closer and offered my hand. {_I am happy to meet you. Your grandson speaks highly of you.}_

_{Ah, Stephanie! You are the one who helped reclaim my great-granddaughter! Yes, I have heard good things of you also.}_

Ranger spoke again then. {_Stephanie and I are to meet her parents for dinner tonight, Abeula. When do you expect Celia?}_

_{I suspect she is already on her way. The train was only forty-five minutes early.}_ She gestured with her hands as if it was no matter. {_May I freshen up?}_

Ranger politely stood to offer her a hand up and showed her to the bathroom. He came back and immediately pulled me into his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me you've been learning Spanish, Babe?" he asked huskily.

"I was going to. It just hadn't come up yet," I explained.

"Does that have anything to do with Hector talking to you in the elevator?" he asked, giving me a small smile.

"When I was just getting started I tried speaking to Hector. He got this huge smile on his face. And then he came to see me and offered to help me with Spanish if I would help him with his English…" I trailed off and Ranger chuckled.

"I think I want to hear this story from the beginning," he said, pulling me down with him on the sofa. "Start over. When did you decide to try to learn?"

"I actually decided to try before you left, but I bought the computer teaching program on that first Tuesday. I'd do my normal routine most days – and I already told you about the guys keeping me company and helping me out – and in the evenings I'd keep myself occupied with the program. It helped."

"So Hector is the only one that knew?"

"Um… no. I told Hal, because he called me to warn me the first time Hector was coming over – it was the day after Lester's first 'pop quiz' and Hal was worried what Hector might have in mind. And then Woody and Hector took me out with them a couple of times."

"Why?" he asked, and I knew what he meant.

I twisted towards him slightly, enough that I could reach up to cup his jaw. "Because," I whispered, "sometimes you slip into Spanish, and I wanted to know what you were saying."

"Babe."

He kissed me and I forgot all about his grandmother until I heard a soft feminine chuckle and we broke apart. I knew I was blushing but Ranger only grinned.

Rosa came and perched on the coffee table in front of where we were sitting. She'd taken her coat off and her blouse was a bright multicolored print. She was smiling and leaned forward to pat me on one knee.

_{I have heard much about you, Stephanie – second-hand,} _she said, shooting Ranger a look of loving exasperation. {_It is true you are a hunter of criminals?}_

I nodded a little hesitantly, never having heard it described quite that way before. I guess it was as accurate as any other description. I opened my mouth to explain that I only took the lower-bond fugitives, but realized I didn't know the right words and looked to Ranger. "Can you explain that I only take the FTAs that are charged with lesser crimes? My vocabulary isn't very good yet."

Ranger translated for me, and also explained that I was just learning Spanish. If anything that made her smile bigger.

_{You are doing very well then,_ she said, patting my knee again. _Tell me about your family. Do they live here in Trenton?}_

I told her about my parents and grandmother, with Ranger providing words for me now and then when my vocabulary was inadequate. He must have been keeping track of the time, too, because after about a half an hour he excused himself and stepped away to call his sister, to have her pick Rosa up here instead of the train station.

Rosa took advantage of the semi-privacy. {_You care much for my grandson. You make him happy. This makes me happy also.}_

I could only answer {_Me, too.}_

Ranger and I both accompanied Rosa back to the lobby, helping her with her coat and retrieving the suitcase I'd missed seeing earlier. She apologized to Alex, via Ranger, for getting upset with him. I think Alex earned some brownie points with Rosa and possibly even Ranger when he made an apology of his own and vowed to remedy his ignorance of such a beautiful language. For my part I gave Alex an encouraging thumbs-up from behind their backs.

When a sand-colored sedan pulled up in front of the doors Rosa turned and hugged me and then her grandson. Celia came inside to fetch her, leaving her car running at the curb.

"Hello, brother-mine," Celia greeted Ranger with a grin. "Glad to see you're still in one piece. Sorry about the surprise visit." She turned to her grandmother and continued in Spanish, in a scolding tone. {_You should have called me before you got on the train, Abuela. I could have been here earlier.}_

Rosa drew herself up to her full height. {_I'm a grown woman and can do as I please, young lady. This way I had a chance to visit Rico, and I got to meet his _**novia**_, also.}_

I looked to Ranger for a translation of the word I hadn't understood. Half-grinning, he leaned over and whispered in my ear "girlfriend". When I looked back I found Celia's eyes on us.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," she said, extending her hand with a smile. "I'm Celia, Ricardo's sister."

"I'm Stephanie." Her grip on my hand tightened slightly and she paused mid-shake.

"Stephanie Plum?" At my nod her smile widened. "Well, I'm glad to finally meet you!"

Ranger rescued my hand from her grasp. "You'll have to save your inquisition for another time, Celia," he told her. "We have dinner plans and if we don't get moving we'll be late."

Celia gave an exaggerated sigh. "You're no fun at all! But I'll hold you to that 'later'. Don't scare her off!"

Ranger carried Rosa's case to the car and hugged them both before seeing them on their way. When he came back inside he put one arm around my waist and led me back to the elevator.

"We need to leave in fifteen minutes to get to your parents' by six, and I need to get a jacket," he told me as we went up. "Do you need to do anything before we go? And where did you decide to eat?"

I told him about the Greek place – and that I'd volunteered him to drive – while I changed my shirt for a soft blue sweater, finger-fluffed my hair, and ran a tinted lip balm over my lips before tucking it into my jeans pocket. We pulled up in front of my parents' house with two minutes to spare.

Feeling weirdly like I was on a double-date with my parents, I moved to the back seat with my mom and let daddy sit up front with Ranger. My mom seemed more relaxed than I'd seen her in years. She sat beside me quietly with a faint smile on her face. I could hear some of the men's conversation. Dad thanked Ranger for the suite upgrade and for having the snow shoveled. I didn't quite catch Ranger's reply.

It didn't take long to get to the Greek place. Dad seemed to be looking forward to it and Mom even seemed interested. It wasn't too busy and we found a table easily. Ranger sat next to me and his hand found mine under the table as we looked at the menus.

The food was good, and Ranger kept my parents talking about their adventures during most of dinner. Mom did bring up my injury but she didn't make a big deal about it. She did make me explain how it happened, again, but then she just shook her head and asked if I was healing okay.

I asked if they'd heard from Grandma, then had to explain about the incident when the tour guides 'lost' her. My dad was shaking his head but mom actually laughed.

"I suppose we ought to join this century and start carrying phones, too," she said when she realized how easy it had been to locate Grandma with her phone. "I didn't realize they had them without contracts and plans now. That would probably be best for us, don't you think?"

Probably I was in too much shock to give her a coherent answer, but my dad changed the subject anyway, and then we had baklava for dessert and it was time to take them home.

On the way back to Haywood Ranger surprised me by saying, "That's something to add to our shopping list, Babe."

"What?" I asked, not sure what he was talking about.

"We could get phones for your parents. Or do you have ideas for them already?"

"No," I answered slowly. "That's actually a good idea for them. They tend to be hard to buy for."

But part of me was hung up on his words_. Our _list_? We_ could_?_ Was he intentionally referring to us as if we were a couple? I pushed back the questions and told myself to settle down. It was entirely likely that he was just talking about our shopping trip. I shouldn't read into things.

Besides, I thought riding the elevator back up to the seventh floor with Ranger's arms around me, did I even need an official label on our relationship? As long as he wanted to keep me in his life I was happy.

As soon as the apartment door was shut behind us Ranger kissed me. His lips never left mine as he stripped off my jacket and shrugged off his own, and this his arms went around me tightly and his kiss deepened.

When he released my mouth to trail his lower I was panting and we were in the bedroom. Ranger was whispering '_I love you'_ against my skin and it took me several minutes to realize it was in Spanish…

-oOo-oOo-oOo-

_**TBC…**_

_A/N2: I got the chance to meet one of my 'readers' last Sunday *waves to Dena* and we had a blast! Now she can tell you all – yeah, I really AM a nut! (Had a great time, Dena, don't forget to call next time you're in town!)_


	54. Chapter 54

_A/N: This chapter has been slightly revised. Somehow I missed that Ranger had a brother! And I think I made his sisters sound mean when that wasn't my intention. Hopefully this will be a little better. Sorry for the interruption!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 54**_

I woke early the next morning to the feel of Ranger's arms settling me a little closer against his body. I was smiling before I even opened my eyes. Waking in his arms was something I didn't think I would ever get used to, and I was positive I'd never get tired of it.

"Shh, you can go back to sleep, Babe," Ranger whispered softly. "We don't need to leave here for hours."

Actually, I was wide awake and not likely to go back to sleep now - not with an shopping adventure ahead of me. But if Ranger wanted to cuddle in bed for a while I certainly wasn't going to object. So we cuddled, sporadiclly talking in hushed voices, for a little over an hour, firming up our plans for the next couple of days and tossing out new ideas for gifts as they occured to us. After a while my stomach started growling and we decided to get up.

We took a quick shower together, then Ranger left the bathroom in just a towel to turn on the coffee pot while I started drying my hair. When he came back in to shave I was heading toward the chair that held my outfit for today to start getting dressed.

Ella had left a plate of individually-wrapped breakfast burritos in the fridge with a little note that said just to put any unneeded ones into the freezer, and they'd keep fine for later. I was definitely not a domestic goddess, but I remembered the instructions for heating them up from before and managed to get three ready by the time Ranger came out of the bedroom dressed.

We ate at the bar, taking our time. I got my little notebook from my purse when I got up to refill my coffee cup, and jotted down the new Christmas ideas we'd come up with that morning before I forgot them.

When the plates and cups were rinsed, the coffee pot turned off, and the extra burritos tucked safely in the freezer, we started getting ready to go. It wasn't until I started looking for my coat that I remembered bringing my dress coat over - and the shoes that were in the briefcase. But the dining room was empty.

Ranger asked what I was looking for, then he checked the dress bag. My coat was there, and the two pairs of shoes were wrapped in tissue and tucked into the bottom of the bag.

"Ella's wonderful. You should give her a raise," I told Ranger.

He grinned. "I don't think I could afford to pay her what she's really worth."

The suitcase had wheels so I rolled it while Ranger carried the dress bag, and we headed for the garage. He led the way to the Cayenne.

"It handles better in snow," he explained as he put our things into the back. "And besides, this will give us lots of room for packages on the way back."

I cast a skeptical look inside and tried to imagine it full, and doubted we'd need that much space...but then again I remembered how long our list of friends, family, and Merry Men (who were sort of both) had grown. We might actually need the room.

Ranger let me mess with the radio and CD player as he drove, tolerated the Christmas music I settled on for part of the way, and plied me with questions about my family and the people I'd grown up with whenever I was in danger of nodding off. In turn he told me a little bit about his family.

"Celia is the oldest," he confirmed. "And yes, I'm the baby. I got bossed around a lot."

I couldn't even imagine that! But then again, Celia did have that 'big-sister' attitude last night; she'd even tried it on her grandmother.

"You know, usually the baby of the family gets spoiled," I ventured in a teasing voice.

The look that went across Ranger's face wasn't easy to read. Something between a scowl and pain, maybe.

"Trust me, there was a lot more bossing than spoiling. It got old fast." He hesitated, then continued quietly, "I wasn't a perfect kid, Babe, and our neighborhood wasn't the best. My brother Cristoval is a year younger than Celia, and Marianna and Leala were born two and four years later. I'm three years younger than Lea. Cris was pretty wild when he hit his teens and was constantly fighting with our father. He left home when I was ten and we didn't hear from him again for two years when he wrote to say he'd joined the Army.

"I started hanging around with some guys in a gang before I hit my teens and it scared my folks. They set rules, and my sisters over-did trying to straighten me up. I didn't like them telling me what to do and I just got more rebellious. If my grandmother hadn't interviened when I started getting in trouble with the law I probably wouldn't have lived to see eighteen unless it was through bars."

It was a challange not to let my jaw drop, and I wanted to ask all kinds of questions. But Ranger was opening up and I didn't want to push, or tarnish our time away together. So I just filed the information away for a more appropriate time and kept things light. "Well, whatever she did must have worked - you turned out pretty damned good."

That got me a smile and his hand curved around mine.

We made good time to New York. The highways had been cleared and the sun was shining brightly enough to melt the thin film that was left on the pavement. The muddy slush thrown up by the tires was a little annoying when it collected on the windshield, but Ranger took it in stride.

Once we made it to the city Ranger took us to Chinatown for an early lunch. The restaurent had valet parking - which I guess was necessary in many of areas in the city - and though we enjoyed our food we didn't linger. When we came out the Cayenne came back clean, and I realized Ranger had tipped the valet to wash it. It probably wouldn't stay clean long but it was nice.

A bit later I was too busy looking around to really pay much attention to where we were going, so when Ranger pulled up in front of a building and stopped, I was gawking out the driver's side window at the building across the street.

"What church is that?" I asked Ranger.

"Saint Patrick's," he answered evenly without seeming to look.

"Where are we?" I asked, finally looking around. Someone - a valet in a dark wool uniform - was opening my door and I stepped out onto a sidewalk bordered by a wrought-iron fence and a gated archway. Another uniformed young man was handing our suitcase and bag out to a third man on the walk, and they headed into the building as Ranger came around the back of the Cayenne and took the ticket the valet offered. Ranger took my hand and led me across a tiled courtyard to glass doors, where a man in a more decorative uniform opened the door for us.

"Welcome to the Palace," he said.

_Holy Cow!_ The location of Saint Patrick's Cathedral had finally clicked in my head. We were on Madison Avenue! Within walking distance to one of the greatest shopping meccas of the world! And that meant I was standing in the lobby of the oldest grand hotel in New York, the New York Palace Hotel.

It was suddenly hard to breathe. Lightheadedness lent a feeling of unreality as I held tighter to Ranger's hand and followed him across the lobby to the desk. I couldn't focus enough to get a clear idea of the decor other than _wow_, and I missed Ranger's short conversation with the desk clerk entirely except for the fact that he never let go of my hand. Then we were following a bellhop and our luggage into an elevator.

I recovered slightly in the elevator; it probably helped that somehow Ranger had managed to get the arm holding my hand around me, holding me with my back against his chest. It was enough for me to get my mental balance in time to step out when the doors opened on the 54th floor.

The bellhop led the way down the hallway as he quietly told Ranger something about hotel service menus. The door he led us to opened onto a room _much_ larger and more luxurious than any hotel room I'd ever seen. I wandered to the window as the men behind me finished their exchange, the view taking all my attention. I didn't even realize when Ranger came up behind me until his arms came around my waist.

"It's still early, Babe," Ranger said into my ear, "We can go out and get an early start on the list or window-shop. Or we can stay in, look around in the hotel, take it easy. What would you like to do?"

Normally, choosing between Ranger and shopping would be difficult. But since Ranger was going shopping _with_ me there was no choice to make. "Let's go window shop, get the lay of the land." Ranger chuckled.

A trip down in the elevator and a quick stop at the concierge desk, and Ranger handed me a map of the nearby shopping district. I had my nose in it, trusting Ranger to guide me, when I felt him come to a reluctant stop and looked up to see...Celia. And a tall man that I assumed must be her husband, judging by the proprietary arm around her waist.

"If it isn't my little brother," she said with a smile that made me wonder if this meeting was really accidental. "What brings you to New York?"

-oOo-

_**TBC...**_


	55. Chapter 55

_A/N: I didn't fall off the face of the Earth, although I think the muse was in suspended animation there for a while. Now if I can just KEEP her awake..._

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 55**_

Ranger made a faint huffing sound that from anyone else might have been a snort. "Celia," he acknowledged his sister civilly…and did I hear a hint of laughter in his voice? "If I was a suspicious man I'd think you were following me."

Celia scowled and sputtered slightly. "Oh, please, I have better things to do with my time than spy on my little brother!"

The man with Celia chuckled and Ranger smiled as his arm around my waist gave me a subtlety reassuring squeeze and I realized they were joking. "Stephanie, you remember my sister Celia. This is her husband, Samuel Stephens. Sam, this is Stephanie Plum."

"Ah, Stephanie Plum!" he exclaimed in a pleasantly deep voice. "You're the bounty hunter? I believe I've read headlines about you from time to time."

I wasn't quite sure how to react. Ranger didn't seem unhappy to see his sister again and even seemed to be teasing her. Surely he was joking about her following him, though. Right?

I offered my hand to the tall doctor politely. "Don't believe anything you read about me in the paper, please. Most of it is exaggerated. What do you do?"

"Oh, I'm a doctor, a cardiologist. I do a few consultations in the city every other month. Celia decided she wanted to come in with me to shop this trip, and we came a day early."

I knew without looking that one of Ranger's eyebrows was quirked. Celia ignored him and said smoothly, "We were just talking about our evening. We're thinking about going to Saint Patrick's for the four o'clock mass, and then come back here for a late dinner. Would you perhaps like to join us?"

"We'll see," Ranger answered evenly. "We'll be in town a few days and were going to take a quick look around this afternoon. Would it be okay if I let you know before four? We wouldn't want to disrupt your schedule."

Celia frowned slightly but Sam answered for them before she could say anything else. "That's fine. And if not tonight, perhaps another evening we could meet for dinner. We'll be here all week."

Ranger nodded. I gave them a smile and let Ranger guide me through the doors. Outside he tucked my hand through his arm. "Don't worry about Celia, Babe. She's dying to talk to you, but we don't have to have dinner with them."

I took the time it took to walk the length of the courtyard to decide what to say. "I don't mind eating with them if you want. Celia's not _really_ going to interrogate me, is she?"

"She's an older sister," Ranger smiled down at me, "probably not much different from yours. Maybe 'interrogate' is too strong a word, but I'm sure she'll ask nosy questions. Just don't answer anything you don't want to."

While I thought that over Ranger nodded to the uniformed man at the gate, and waited while he hailed a cab for us. We got in and Ranger told the driver we wanted to cruise the shopping district. Evidently it was a common request because he just nodded and pulled away from the curb.

"We could go to dinner together tonight and have it out of the way," Ranger suggested. "Then we could relax and enjoy the rest of our trip."

I agreed. Soon was good, then I wouldn't have much time to worry about it.

As the cab turned onto Madison Avenue I couldn't decide where to look first. Both sides of the street were lined with shops, most of them with famous names, and my head kept swiveling back and forth. Ranger chuckled at my dilemma. "Just enjoy the ride and don't try to see everything this afternoon. We have several days to shop this trip and we can always come back later."

So I did. While I tried to make mental notes of the places I noticed that I particularly wanted to visit, Ranger pulled out his phone and made dinner arrangements with his sister. I did my best to put that meeting out of my mind for the moment and was mostly successful thanks to the scenery. About the time he disconnected his call I spotted a boutique that had vintage clothes in the window. I turned to Ranger.

"I want to go there tomorrow!" I said excitedly pointing at the window display. "What if I can't remember the name?"

He typed the store's name into an application on his phone. "I'll save it for you," he said. "Just let me know if you see anywhere else you especially want to look."

There were so many! We'd have to go to F.A.O. Swartz - it was a must! And Macy's...

At Central Park we traded the cab for a horse-drawn carriage and took a ride through the park itself. The driver asked if we'd like to hear the history of the park. I'm sure Ranger had probably heard it before but he encouraged the man to tell it for me. I listened to the park's origins, how it had changed over the years, and admired the various landmarks the driver pointed out. It was fun but by the time we were done and back to the starting point I was cold and glad to get back into a cab for the return trip down Fifth. Once again I was caught up in the sight of all the stores and it wasn't until we'd arrived back at our room at the Palace that I remembered dinner.

Ranger either used his ESP or read 'panic' from my body language, because he put his arms around my waist and just held me for a minute.

"Relax, Babe. We have plenty of time before dinner. Celia and Sam were going to Mass, remember? You have over an hour at the least, probably closer to two." He turned me in his arms so that he could see my face. "We decided to eat here at the hotel. They've got great food and wine and we won't have to worry about getting back safely."

That made sense. And Ella had packed that blue dress...it should look okay. I could handle this.

Ranger kissed me before he let me go, so I was smiling as I went to investigate the bathroom. My eyes went wide, though, when I saw the Jacuzzi tub, the separate huge glass shower, and the twin vanities. The bathroom was almost as big as the bedroom! And the towels stacked between the tub and shower were white, thick, and fluffy.

I reached to finger a towel as I looked around. There were travel-size toiletries provided but instead of the generic brands they were high quality. There was even bath salts on the ledge by the tub. I had at least an hour. I could pin my hair up and take a bath! No, I would rather take my time and enjoy a bath. A quick shower would work fine before dressing. It wasn't like I'd been rolling in garbage today.

I headed back into the main room intending to see if Ella had packed any hair-ties or barrettes for my hair, but I was immediately sidetracked at the sight of Ranger stretched out across the king-sized bed.

He'd taken off his shoes and his jacket was tossed across one of the upholstered chairs. He was laying on his back across the bed with his hands tucked under his neck and his eyes closed. It reminded me vividly of a night during our stay at Tank's house. His head had been hanging slightly off the bed that night, too.

I moved closer, smiling to myself. When I was almost close enough to touch he opened one eye. It made my smile widen.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Nothing," he answered, but one corner of his lips curled up just a tiny bit.

I wondered if he was remembering, too. But that tiny curve of lip was calling me and I leaned over to give him an upside-down kiss.

He didn't move his hands or his body, he just met my kiss and invited me in for more. After a moment I had to brace my hands on the bed for balance...and then I was pulled down into his arms. He made no move to do more than kiss but was giving it all his attention, and it was intoxicating. When we finally drew apart I was breathing hard and my whole body was humming pleasantly. Ranger's eyes were dark and his breathing was disturbed, too. But he was smiling.

"Why are you smiling?" I asked lazily, content for the moment to just lie in his arms.

"Because I love when you kiss me."

My surprise at his answer must have shown on my face, because the smile widened. "Used to be I had to steal kisses. That night after the distraction, when you kissed me - my heart nearly stopped." One hand came up and his fingers stroked gently along my lower lip, making it tingle. "You have no idea how much that kiss meant to me."

"But you left," I protested softly, not wanting to disrupt the quiet mood.

He grinned and dropped a kiss on my nose. "My brain was scrambled, Babe. But I only got as far as the stairs before I came to my senses and called Tank."

"And you came back," I said, kissing the corner of his mouth. "If I haven't told you, I'm really, really glad you came back."

"Me, too," he whispered, and he rose over me. His mouth took mine and my shirt got pushed up, my bra undone, and then there was a mad rush to get rid of the clothes between us and he was sinking into me...

-oOo-

It was a good thing I didn't have to make decisions about what to wear when we finally climbed off the bed. I was so happy I felt high, and was giggling as I darted into the bathroom to start the shower. With only a half-hour before we were due to meet Celia and Sam there was no time to fret, only to wash quickly and fix my makeup. Thankfully Ella had packed hair things and I was able to put my hair up into a twist with hair-sticks. The blue dress fit perfectly, and there were thigh-hi stockings tucked inside my blue heels - which did match the dress, exactly.

Ranger was showered and completely dressed again in time to zip me up. There was a gleam in his eyes that made me feel warm all over, and I hoped his sister and brother-in-law weren't observant enough to notice. I tucked a few things into my evening purse and we were ready to go.

It was nice that the restaurant was in the hotel so we didn't have to bother with coats. We arrived just as Celia and Sam were being seated.

I used the few moments while everyone got settled into their seats to look at the other couple. They, too, had changed before dinner. Celia now wore a flowing dress in a deep wine color that looked really nice against her warm golden skin. She wore a delicate pearl pendant necklace on a gold chain, pearl drop earrings that matched, and a slim gold watch. Her wedding rings were the only rings she wore.

Sam wore a thin plain gold wedding band but no watch. His suit was a charcoal pin-stripe and his shirt and tie were pale blue. When the waiter brought us menus he pulled a pair of reading glasses from an inner pocket and propped them on his nose.

I looked at Ranger and was surprised to find him watching me, his eyes crinkled at the corners but only the tiniest hint of smile on his lips. I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him and instead dropped my eyes to the menu. He didn't need to know I though he looked good enough to eat.

My menu didn't have prices on it which sidetracked me momentarily. Then I shrugged mentally and just looked for something that sounded good. I was hungry, and although the offerings on the menu were a lot different that what I was used to, it didn't take long to find something that sounded good.

Ranger's menu was already closed and now he was smiling slightly at me. And Celia was watching us over the top of her menu.

"So, Stephanie," she broke the silence when she knew I'd seen her. "What foods do you like? Have you found something you want to eat?"

"I love pasta - maybe because I'm part Italian," I told her with a smile. I wasn't nervous about her questions now. "But I like lots of foods. There isn't much that I wouldn't at least try."

"Rico eats some pretty weird stuff," she said with a slight wrinkle in her nose. "Like octopus. Who eats octopus?"

"It's actually pretty good," I said without thinking. Sam snorted a laugh at the look on his wife's face, and Ranger was smiling slightly.

"He made you eat octopus?"

"He didn't _make_ me." Did Celia think her brother was a bully? Like anyone could make me eat something! "He said he liked it so I tried it. I had salmon roe, too, on some of the sushi."

"Ugh."

I had to grin. Celia's reaction was more like Valerie than I would have imagined. "It actually tastes better than it sounds, although the texture is a little weird. My favorite was the sour ones, though. What were they called?" I asked Ranger.

"_Onigiri umeboshi_," he supplied. "Rice balls with pickled green plum in the centers."

"That sounds kind of horrible," Sam put in with a funny look on his face. I had to laugh.

"It's different - and _really_ sour! But they're good, very unusual. I'm glad I tried them."

The waiter returned to take our orders while they were still sort of stunned, and by the time our drinks were delivered and the waiter left again things had settled down. Ranger managed to give my fingers a reassuring squeeze but didn't hold onto my hand.

I asked the next questions, asking about how Celia and Sam met, and about their home, and their children. They spoke fondly of their son and daughter; their son was spending a semester abroad in a foreign-exchange program and would return just before Christmas. Their daughter was spending the weekend with a friend, and Sam's mother was there to look after her until they got home.

To Celia's questions, I explained I'd met her brother through work, that he'd helped me when I first started skip-tracing several years ago. Sam had some questions about the newspaper stories; some of which I answered, and some I glossed over. Ranger smoothly diverted Sam when some of his questions got uncomfortable and Sam didn't appear to even notice.

The food was good if strange. If I hadn't been trying some of Ella's more interesting dishes I might have felt more out of my depth, and if I hadn't been with Ranger the atmosphere and service might have been intimidation. The wines tasted good to me although I'm the first to admit I know very little about wine. I know desserts, though, and the rich chocolate mousse was good - although maybe not as good as Ella's. I stole a glimpse at Ranger as I took a small bite, wondering if he remembered... He was watching my mouth and caught my look, his eyes very dark. He remembered. I licked my lips and the look in his eyes grew hot enough to have me shifting in my chair.

There was a brief, genial contest of wills between Ranger and Sam when the check arrived but Ranger gave in gracefully when Sam insisted. We had been invited, Sam pointed out, and guests didn't pay.

We parted company from there. Sam's consultations began early and Celia wanted to call home before it got too late. Ranger ushered me into the elevator with one arm around my waist, and as it rose he held me close and murmured suggestions in my ear about how we could spend the rest of our evening. The tub idea sounded really, really interesting...

-oOo-

_**TBC...**_


	56. Chapter 56

_**Disclaimer: Same old same old.**_****

_I edited chapter 54 but when I reposted it there was no notice sent out. I fixed where I missed Ranger having a brother and reworded a little so that his sisters sound more concerned and not just mean and bossy! (I hope!)_

_For sophiepicklegirl to help you feel better, and for Dena and sunny.d - and everyone else who's hung in there with me. Thanks!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 56**_

It was barely after eight in the evening as we walked down the hall our room. Just from Ranger's teasing whispers in the elevator I was so heated, hormonally speaking, that I felt like I was ready to explode. Damn Hungarian hormones. Was it just me? I couldn't imagine my mother ever feeling this oversexed, ever. Grandma, maybe... _Eww_. And while it had been sadly easy for Joe to talk me into sex, I never felt like this.

It had to be Ranger.

He let go of my waist slide took my hand instead. The key card was pulled from a pocket and he easily managed the lock and door one-handed. As was his habit, he stepped inside first and visually swept the room before he pulled me in. It was dark in the room, though, so I don't know how he'd have seen anything. I started to say something or ask but suddenly I found myself pressed between the door and Ranger. I barely registered the snick of the locks.

The drapes were still open but the dim lights from the cityscape outside the windows only served to throw Ranger's face into deeper shadow. I didn't need to see his eyes to know they would be molten.

Standing too close for me to move, he took my purse from my nerveless fingers and tossed it. Without stepping back he shrugged out of his jacket and pulled his tie off with slow deliberation. It was almost as if Ranger was doing a striptease and it had a predictable effect; my nipples came to tingling attention in the suddenly uncomfortable confines of my bra.

I reached out to help with his shirt buttons but he caught my hands, kissed them, and gently pushed them away. He took care of the buttons himself and a moment later the shirt followed his jacket and tie.

My mouth went dry and my breath hitched. Ranger hadn't made a sound since the elevator door opened but apparently he was taking control tonight. When he pulled my hands above my head and pinned them against the door with one of his it just confirmed it.

My lips parted and my knees felt weak. Ranger shifted forward, pressing his body against mine, his free hand sliding behind me to push my hips forward into his. The rigid length of him against my body made me gasp, and a low sound of satisfaction came from Ranger's throat.

I arched against him and his mouth came down, brushing quick teasing kisses against my lips until I was breathless and oh so eager. Then he groaned and gave me what I wanted, kissing me thoroughly, deeply. Desperate noises began to escape me and I was trembling on the edge.

When he released my hands and pulled me away from the door my knees wobbled and I stumbled, grabbing his shoulders for balance. It wasn't necessary - Ranger held me securely against him even as he guided me backwards across the expanse of carpet, until my leg brushed up against the bed. Only then did he stop kissing me and draw back slightly.

He still didn't speak. I felt him find the zipper and ease it down my back, then he peeled the dress forward and down. When the dress was bunched up near my waist and my arms were trapped at the elbow he stopped and moved back to my bra. He traced his fingers along the straps and the edge of the cups for long minutes until I was groaning and trying to press myself into his hands, then he finally opened the clasp between my breasts and pushed the bra back and down to add to the tangle around my waist.

I was all but tied, my arms trapped by my clothes at my waist. I tried wiggling but only succeeded in one sleeve sliding down over my hand and I was left with only one hand free. Not that I could reach anything - I'd been trying to reach for Ranger to no avail.

His hands slid warm up my back to rest just below my shoulder blades and then he kissed me, bending me back until I leaned into his hands. One more kiss that lingered on my lips and his mouth moved down to spread kisses along my neck and collarbone and further, down to the rise of my breasts. By the time his lips closed gently over one aching nipple there was a constant stream of babble coming out of my mouth. Begging, threats, I had no idea what I was saying or if it was just gibberish.

Then he sucked, and it was all I could do to breathe.

Oh, god. He was in no hurry. He took his time and kissed, nibbled, and sucked every inch of my aching breasts. I was on fire, the ache between my legs nearly unbearable. I tried every way I could think of to get him where I wanted him, but was thwarted by the width of the dress's skirt and my inability to balance on one high-heel while bent backwards. I couldn't even press my thighs together because his knee was just barely between mine. Ranger seemed to be oblivious - intentionally, I'm sure.

Then I felt an unmistakable shiver and rush of heat and I orgasmed helplessly, held tight in Ranger's arms.

I was trembling. Ranger pulled me forward to rest propped against the warmth of his chest. With bare skin finally within reach I rubbed myself against him, skin to skin, kissing wherever I could reach. I might have noticed his hand between us. Then I realized he was working the bunched cloth off my arms and down my hips. The dress finally loosened and fell around my feet and my hands were free.

My arms went around Ranger at last and I reveled in his kiss. It wasn't until I slid my hands down his back past his waist that I realized he was naked. By then my panties were settling around my ankles and he was lifting me onto the bed and kneeling between my feet.

One after the other he lifted my legs, pulled off my shoes, and worked the stocking down and off. I watched, nearly panting with excitement and desire, drinking in the way the city lights highlighted the lines and curves of his very fine body. The smile on his lips was slightly predatory as he ran his hands back up my legs and eased his weight down.

I had hoped he'd take pity on me in my desperate condition but no... He started at my neck and worked his way slowly down my body. By the time he went south of my belly button just his breath on me had me writhing.

I didn't trust myself not to pull his hair so I scrabbled my fingers on the sheets, looking for something to hang on to. Ranger shifted and then his fingers twined with mine and I held on desperately as his wicked mouth sent me into orbit.

By the time he eased up to let me breathe I _couldn't_ let go. Ranger's chuckle was low and satisfied as he started back up my body. His arms were under my legs so by the time he was where he wanted to be - and our still-clasped hands were on either side of my head - my legs were spread wide and caught on his elbows.

"_E__s apenas la manera..._" he murmured, then he sank deep into me. _{That's just the way...}_

The orgasm hit before he was fully inside me and I think it shorted out my brain. Afterwards it was all I could do to breathe as he rocked with me slowly, carefully, as if he had all the time in the world. I wanted to tell him how good it felt, how good _he_ felt, but all that came out were gasps and breathy moans .

Pressure was building from my toes all the way up. His chest barely grazed my nipples as he moved and I wanted more, arching up desperately. My movement tripped the trigger and I exploded again with a strangled scream. I tore my hands free and pulled Ranger down onto me, needing to feel every hard inch of him against me.

He gave me what I wanted, wrapping me tightly in his arms and driving deep. I felt a tremor go through him, then "One more, Babe, come with me," he growled in my ear and that was it.

By the time I realized I was having a hard time breathing Ranger was already rolling us to the side, keeping me tightly in his arms. His heart was thundering in echo to mine, although I was the one panting. I couldn't have moved even at gunpoint.

My heart was almost back to normal and I was starting to drift off when I felt Ranger shift and he drew the covers up over us. As he laid back down and pulled me against him he said softly, "I think the tub will have to wait until tomorrow."

-oOo-

_~~Sorry the chapter was a little short, but hey - the muse was talking SMUT! I had to take advantage. I didn't think you'd mind...~~_

_TBC..._


	57. Chapter 57

_**Disclaimer: I only WISH they belonged to me...*sigh***_

_A/N: Some of my regular reviewers have their PMs turned off, so if you didn't hear from me check your settings! Thanks also to those who reviewed but didn't leave an e-mail address - I'd have written you back if I could! Also, I'm doing an informal poll. If YOU were Steph, what do you think you'd get for Ranger for Christmas? Hmm?_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 57**_

I surfaced slowly, too relaxed and comfortable to want to wake up fast. That changed only a little when I remembered we were in New York.

Despite our activities the previous night we'd actually gone to sleep fairly early so I wasn't too surprised to find the other side of the bed empty. I started to get up then stopped and pulled the sheet up to my neck as the murmur of voices registered in my sleepy brain.

A quick glance around showed me that Ranger had closed the curtains on the window, and the drapes that separated the bed from the sitting area were pulled, too. My soft blue robe was draped across the end of the bed. Smiling - I hadn't packed it so Ella must have - I grabbed it and pulled it on before going to peek through the curtain.

A room-service cart was waiting beside the table and chairs and Ranger was closing the door behind the bellhop. I'd thought he'd be off doing his morning running thing, but since he wasn't damp from either sweat or the shower it looked like he'd skipped it today. He was wearing a pair of workout pants and unlike at home he'd put on a shirt, too. Too bad.

"Good morning," I said softly, my voice still a little husky from sleep. Ranger saw me peeking through the drapes and smiled.

"You're up early. I thought I'd have to wake you." He came over to me and pushed the fabric aside.

I smiled but took a small step back and held up one hand to avoid a good-morning kiss. "Hold that thought for a minute. I _just_ got up and haven't brushed my teeth yet."

He snagged me before I could step back again and kissed me anyway to show me he didn't care. "Hurry, babe. Breakfast is here." As he let go and turned back toward the table he said over his shoulder. "I got crepes for you, but if you take too long..."

"Hey!" I protested even as I ducked into the huge bathroom. "I'll only be a second!" I relieved myself quickly, washed my hands and splashed my face, and did a quick job on my teeth, smiling all the while.

We ate at the table while the sun slowly inched its way up the sky, painting the few clouds with pink and gold. Besides crepes filled with strawberries and cream there were delicate omelets folded over shaved ham and mushrooms, toasted sliced bagels, mimosas, and coffee. I felt fortified for a hard day of shopping.

Ranger let me have the shower first, and while he showered I dried my hair and put on some makeup - not a lot, because I might be trying on clothes. For the same reason I didn't go to too much trouble with my hair, just doing enough to keep it from frizzing into a puffball. Ella had included several hair clips and ties, so I slid a soft fat hair-tie onto my wrist like a bracelet in case I wanted it later, and went to get dressed.

I'd gone for comfort and ease when I'd picked my shopping clothes. Loose-fitting jeans and a stretchy top, the neck of which wasn't tight so was less likely to wreck my hair. Short boots with low comfortable walking heels that were easy to toe off and pull on, and would keep my feet warm even if we walked in snow.

Ranger dressed in jeans that stopped a bare shade from being black and a soft gray long-sleeved polo shirt. His jacket was a lined leather bomber jacket that looked comfortably broken in, as did his hiking boots.

I started to grab my purse then stopped, remembering my gun and handcuffs. Ranger caught the hesitation.

"What's wrong, Babe? Did you forget something?"

"I forgot I left my gun in here. Is it going to set off alarms if I leave it in my purse?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure, in some of the stores it might. Do you want to leave it? There's a safe in the bar, we can lock up anything you don't want to carry around.

It took me a couple minutes to dig and decide, but in the end I tucked my wallet with ID, room card, a little cash, and credit cards into one jacket pocket, and my stun-gun and the little notebook with the lists into the other. My tinted lip balm went into my front jeans pocket. Ranger locked my purse and one of his guns into the safe, then we headed out.

It was still early but traffic was humming, the sidewalks busy but not too crowded. I'm sure the energy I felt was my excitement and not the air of the city but I still felt like skipping. I think Ranger knew it, too, because he had that smile on his face. Heads turned as we passed and one woman bounced off of a light pole, but I was in too good of a mood to tease him about it.

We crossed the street and walked down 51st Street toward Fifth Avenue, and near the middle of the block was Jimmy Choo. I stopped and window-shopped for a few minutes but resisted going inside. Then we continued on and crossed the street - I could see Juicy Couture and thought maybe something there would appeal for Julia.

H&M was on the way but their windows didn't tempt me. At Juicy's there was almost too much to look at. We looked at some graphic tees but Ranger didn't seem to think much of them - and really, they weren't all that cute - then moved on to the handbags and accessories. In the 'girls' section nearly everything was pastel pink and from what Ranger had said about Julia's current favorite colors I didn't think they'd do. Then in the women's handbags I found a hot-pink satin and leather mini-purse made to carry an iPhone or similar smartphone. It was cute, trimmed in hot pink feathery fringe. It had a shoulder strap that was part chain and part leather and long enough to wear cross-body - and if Ranger got her a smartphone it would be very functional.

"Did you hear back from Sasha about the phone idea for Julia?" I asked him, holding up the little bag for him to see.

His lips quirked up into a rueful smile. "She said I could get Julia any phone I wanted if I was willing to pay the phone bill - I guess Juls has reached the age where she wants to talk or text her friends almost constantly. Sasha and Eric were talking about getting her a phone because she's at the age where she has after-school activities sometimes and it'd make it much easier to reach her, but they hadn't done it yet."

"So, the phone is a go?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Do you have a type in mind?"

"No." Now he was grinning. "I'm going to let you pick."

I sputtered for a minute then gave up, handing him the little pink bag and pushing him toward a register. Then as we continued up the street I mentioned the new iPhones looked interesting.

I checked out the glittery displays at Cartier's and drooled over the shoes at Ferragamo. In another block I was starting to feel like my brain was overloaded so I stopped trying to look at _everything_. We didn't go into another store until we got to Abercrombie and Fitch but nothing there called out to me there either. There was a Starbucks across the street and we went in to warm up with a coffee and sit down for a few minutes before we headed out again.

A couple blocks later, across from a park area with a huge fountain, was the jackpot. FAO Schwartz _and_ the giant glass cube of the Apple store.

The famous toy store was first, and we were just in time to watch the hourly 'floor show' where the employees dance and play music on the giant keyboard made famous in the Tom Hanks movie "Big". It looked hard but fun, and the shoppers gave them a good round of applause when they were done.

I pulled out my notebook and consulted the list we'd made. Besides Julia there were Valerie's three girls, a number of children of various ages in Ranger's family to buy for, and Hal built and collected WWII model planes. Hal's gift was the easiest to choose because there were only a few models he didn't yet have.

After the planes, we chose some board games and hand-held game machines with game assortments, a few adorable dolls with outfits and accessories, and some sports equipment. I tried to keep track and write down what was for whom on my list as we went. I didn't want to forget anyone! I didn't know the kids in Ranger's family yet so he had to do most of the decision-making there. He seemed to have a pretty good idea what would appeal to most of them, especially the boys. For the girls sometimes he told me a little bit about the child and asked what I thought they'd like better.

While I was perusing an assortment of toys, books, and accessories with a horse theme for Mary Alice Ranger made couple of short phone calls, and by the time we took our small mountain of things to a register there was a sturdy young man in uniform there to meet us. Ranger had arranged for a courier to pick up our purchases and deliver them to the hotel, where the concierge would have them taken to our room. Very convenient.

Ranger paid for everything we got at the toy store, refusing when I tried to separate out and pay for the things I got for Angie, Mary Alice, and Lisa. He handed the bag from Juicy to the courier, too, and we headed for the Apple store. The courier would find us there once the other purchases were packed up.

The new iPhone had just come out and the store was busy. Ranger didn't seem to mind, taking the time to read over the information about each phone and gadget and play with the ones set out for hands-on display. Several times he handed me one to try and asked my opinion on this and that. I found a brochure that listed plans and prices and showed him the options available. He got sidetracked a little when we found the gadgets, and he seemed to like the new iPad. I made a mental note of which one he liked.

When a clerk made his way to us I was pretty sure Ranger had settled on what he wanted. He did have a few questions though, and the clerk gave concise, knowledgeable answers. Ranger decided on a phone for Julia, then sent me over to look at the accessories for it while he did the paperwork to get it set up and activated, etc. I found a package with an assortment of brightly colored snap-on cases and added some decals, some rhinestone decoration stick-ons, and screen protectors, then picked up an iTunes card for downloads and apps. I paid for them myself knowing Ranger would never let me pay him back for the toys I got for Val's kids. And besides, I wanted to have a gift for Julia, too.

Ranger seemed to be finishing up his transaction when I found him again, the clerk packing the paperwork and boxed phone into a bag. He frowned at me when he saw I had a bag, too.

He was prevented from saying anything by the clerk, who was handing his bag over the counter and saying "I think she'll love it, and the rest of your order will be delivered by Wednesday."

The rest of his order? "What did you buy? The whole store?"

"Of course not."

The courier met us at the door, our previous purchases packed neatly into large shopping bags, which were carefully stacked into a white canvas-sided cart. Our two bags from the Apple store were added to them, then Ranger sent the courier off in his strange little van to drop everything off at the hotel. We were going to find a place for lunch, he said, then we'd call the courier to meet us at the next location in a couple of hours.

Ranger hailed a cab and we set off to look for food.

Lunch was simple - soup and salad at a place that felt welcoming and restful even though it was busy. The chairs were cushioned and so comfortable I could have taken a nap in mine, but after an hour of food and rest we were back in a cab headed for the vintage dress shop I'd spotted last night.

**-oOo-**

_TBC..._


	58. Chapter 58

_**Disclaimer: Familiar characters blatantly stolen from JE; everything else is mine.**_

_A/N: I've never been to NYC. Google Street View is a wonderful creation! It's *almost* as good as being there...and I don't have to worry about getting hit by a bus while I'm staring around like a tourist!_

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 58**_

The place was not huge, but still - it was two full floors' worth of vintage clothing. Women's fashions from the 1920's forward and ranging from designer names to well-preserved prom and party dresses, suits, and pantsuits. After a little looking I figured out that the clothes were grouped into eras by 10-year periods and then separated by type - designer, etc. The only exception was wedding dresses and they were in their own section - but I wasn't interested in them today. I asked Ranger to wait for me in the little waiting area decked out for boyfriends and husbands - comfortable chairs and a TV tuned to ESPN - and I headed straight to the 40's clothes.

Most of the designer things here were pricy - most probably cost more now than when they were originally purchased in the 1940's - and I didn't see anything that really appealed to me so after a brief look I moved on to the prom, party, and special occasion dresses. There were a few interesting dresses but nothing matched the image that had formed in my head. I wanted a dress like the ones women wore in the old Fred Astaire movies, with the full skirts that swirled around the calves as they danced. Something about the fundraiser dinner dance just made me want to dress the part.

A helpful twenty-something clerk suggested I look in the 50's and 60's sections. The 40's were the war years, she explained, and most dresses in that decade had narrow skirts to conserve fabric. In the 1950's rationing was lifted and fashion celebrated by having the really full skirts.

I'd never thought of it that way... but she was right. In the 50's section I found gorgeous dresses with elaborate skirts, beaded bodices, and sometimes matching wraps. I found just what I wanted in the prom and party dresses.

It wasn't like anything I'd ever worn before and I prayed it would fit me. The dress was a soft off-white color and strapless, lace snugly fitted to just below the waist and highlighted across the top with tiny sewn-on crystal beads. The dropped-waist skirt was multiple full layers of chiffon that practically floated, trimmed at the bottom with delicate narrow lace.

The size listed on the label didn't seem right so I held it against me. Maybe...

The helpful clerk came back by just then. "If the size is confusing you, dress sizes have changed several times over the past 50 years. Would you like to try it on?"

She headed toward a wall of doors. Only a six-inch gap at the bottom let an outside viewer see if the rooms were occupied or not, but she led me unerringly to an empty one and let me in.

It was larger than most dressing rooms, pale pink walls with its own 3-way mirror right inside along with convenient hooks and a small padded bench.

"I'll stay right outside for a bit. Call out if you need help with the zipper. These older dresses were very closely fitted."

I agreed, and once the door closed I skinned out of my coat, jeans, and shirt really fast. I kept my bra on, but since the dress was strapless I pulled my arms out of the straps so they wouldn't show.

There was too much skirt for me to risk stepping into the dress so I had to gather up the miles of chiffon and drop the dress over my head. So far so good, it at least slid on easily. I wiggled and shimmied to straighten the bodice - discovering in the process that it was boned - but as predicted I couldn't reach the zipper. I called for the clerk's help.

But when the door opened it was Ranger that stepped inside.

So much for keeping my dress a surprise.

The look on his face as he pulled the door closed behind him was maybe worth the fleeting annoyance. He looked almost dazed.

I turned my back and a moment later the zipper slid up smoothly. Ranger's fingers were warm against my skin as he fastened the tiny hook at the top. I watched him in the mirror as he stood there looking for another minute, then he backed up and sat on the bench.

"The dress looks beautiful on you, Babe," he said softly. "I've never seen you in anything like this."

I turned, using the 3-way mirror to look at the back, and then turned to face my man. He looked even more masculine in the small pink room but not really out of place. I should have known he wouldn't stay in the men's area.

"Do you like it?"

"I like it. For the library dance?" When I nodded his lips tilted up a little. "I'll have to take you back to Andre's so you can wear it again."

"Andre's is the place near Philly? With the dance floor? I'd love that!" I did a little girly spin that made the skirt swirl. The chiffon and lace brushed up against his knees and had the skin crinkling around his eyes. He stood and fitted his hands around my waist, fingertips touching in back and thumbs only an inch or so apart in the front. My breath caught in surprise. The odd little embrace made me feel very feminine and delicate all of a sudden, something I rarely felt.

"It's a date," Ranger whispered with a smile and then bent to kiss me.

It was just a kiss. He didn't pull me closer or move his hands from my waist but still it scorched through me, leaving me panting and damp when he lifted his head. But by the time I could draw a deep breath he was reaching for the doorknob I realized the dress was loose again - he'd already unzipped me.

"I'll be waiting," he said.

I had to sit down for a minute before I could get coordinated enough to take the dress off. Getting dressed wasn't as hard but I was supremely glad I'd worn simple clothes for shopping. When I opened the door and stepped out I knew I was still flushed and dazed-looking; the salesgirl took one look at me and grinned hugely.

"He liked it?" she asked. Well, I guess she saw Ranger come in, then.

"We both did," I answered and handed her the dress and empty hanger. "I'll take it, and thank you for your help."

Ranger beat us to the sales counter and paid, then helped me back into my coat as we waited for the dress to be folded carefully into a dress box and then placed in a bag. When we stepped back out through the doors it was snowing.

A slight gust of wind swirled the snowflakes as I looked up and I had to smile.

Ranger took my hand and tugged me out of the foot traffic around the door. "How about we hit one more store then quit for today? We could go to Rockefeller Center and ice skate."

I laughed. "Do you know how to ice skate? Because I don't, and I'd probably break something."

He grinned and gave a slight shrug. "I can rollerblade. It's pretty close to the same thing."

"I sprained both my wrists when I tried to rollerblade. And that was _with_ the guards and pads on!" I told him. "How about we go watch the skaters for a while? I heard they have great hot chocolate there, and the tree is up. I've never seen a Rockefeller tree in person."

He gave in and hailed a cab, and we were being dropped off at the famous site in less than fifteen minutes.

The rink was crowded, which made me glad again that we weren't going to skate. On the packed ice I could crash and take a _bunch_ of people down with me! Instead we found a tiny outdoor table and ordered, hot chocolate for me and hot green tea for Ranger. The heat from the big ceramic cup kept me warm for a while, and I enjoyed watching the skaters go around and around through the light snow. There were a few really good skaters swooping and twirling in the center of the ice. Children laughed, shouted, and tumbled along the outer edges, sometimes taking down parents with them. Both groups were entertaining to watch. But by the time my chocolate was gone and the chill was setting back in I was ready to move again.

Saks Fifth Avenue was actually on the way back to the hotel so we stopped in. As we got our bearings I decided to ask some questions. After all, how could I find the perfect dress for Ranger's retirement ceremony if I didn't? Or maybe...

"Ranger?"

"Hm?"

The normal little sound coming from Ranger made me smile. Usually he either just looked at me and waited, or raised that one eyebrow.

"Would you like to choose what I wear to your retirement thing?"

We _had_ been on one of the main aisles headed towards the women's section, but Ranger suddenly nudged me off in between cosmetics and a gift section and stopped. One of the notorious perfume-spraying clerks started for us but stopped dead in her tracks with one glance from Ranger. Hmm, handy.

"Why do you ask that?" he asked, his voice soft but serious.

"Well, I'm not sure what I should wear. I've never seen you in your military uniform - I've never seen your uniform at all - so I have no idea what colors to look for or avoid. I don't know if something frilly would look best, or something fitted... I just want to look good for you."

He smiled. "Sweetheart, you're always beautiful. It doesn't really matter what you wear. You could wear a tablecloth and still be gorgeous."

I couldn't quite stop the little snort at the idea, but I knew he _meant_ what he said and that made me love him even more. "_You_ might not care what I wear, but I don't want to look out of place or look stuck-up or slutt-"

He stopped my words with a quick hard kiss then brushed his lips across my cheek and reached for his phone. I was surprised to realize he had pictures on it. He scrolled through some shots of Julia and I thought I saw one of me, then he settled on a head-and-shoulders shot of a grinning man in a dark green uniform and handed me the phone. "This is one of the men I used to work with who recently retired. It's not a great picture but it should give you a general idea. The Army's in the process of switching over to dress blues instead of greens but the change won't be final for a couple years. I don't see the point in buying a new set of blues for one night."

I studied the screen for a moment, trying to picture Ranger in the uniform. Even with the picture right in front of me I couldn't quite see him in it. But I privately thought he'd look better in green than he would in blue. "Thank you," I told him as I handed the phone back. "I have a better idea now, but promise me if you don't like something I'm considering that you'll tell me. Okay?"

He took my elbow and guided me back onto the tiled main walkway. "Okay," he said with a chuckle. "I promise."

Saks was a huge store with multiple floors. Getting into the elevator made me think of Mrs. Bessler from my apartment building and her elevator game. Ranger must have thought about her, too, because when an elderly woman got on he looked over and gave me a half-smile.

I lost track of what floor and which boutiques we were in as I looked at literally hundreds of dresses on display. Some of the designers I liked. Some must have been on bad drugs, the clothes were so awful they made me cringe. Ranger never actually said anything but he did shake his head at a few dresses.

Then I spotted one. It was across the aisle and probably fifty feet away on a simple hanger suspended from the ceiling. It was partially obscured by a couple of mannequins wearing other dresses, but something about this dress caught my eyes.

It wasn't green or black or red or the weird muddy taupe color that seemed to be in fashion. Actually it was a little hard to describe. The fabric was dark brown but had metallic threads shot through it in an uneven pattern so that it almost looked like dry brushstrokes. The colors and pattern made me think of bronze. It cut was very subdued but not plain, with a round pleated neckline and short cap sleeves. There was no waistline but it was fitted and the skirt had a slight flare.

When I was standing in front of it, without looking around at all I said, "I want to try this one on."

Ranger raised his head and a saleswoman practically ran over to help us. Only then did I realize they'd been keeping their distance.

In only a few minutes I was in the dressing room with the dress - in two sizes because I wasn't sure. Ranger was in the 'man-chair' just outside with my jacket and the vintage shop bag. Again I stripped off my jeans and shirt and this time even took off my boots and socks.

The dress was very soft fabric and fully lined, it slipped easily over my head. The zipper was under one arm so I was able to zip it by myself, and the back of the dress was smooth. It settled onto my body with a silky sigh, and it fit as though it had been made for me.

The neckline showed my collarbones but not my bra straps. I could maybe wear a choker or short necklace with it - though with the pleats for interest it didn't really need anything else. The cut made me look slender and curvy, and the hem ended just above my knees. The color made my hair look darker and my eyes bluer, and even though my skin was pale it looked okay. I smiled at myself in the mirror and went out to show Ranger.

When I stopped in front of him for a moment he just looked at me. Then his eyes crinkled up and he half-smiled and did the little finger gesture for 'turn around'. I did, slowly, and when I faced him again he was smiling.

"Perfect."

The saleswoman took the dress as soon as I had it off. By the time I got dressed and came back out of the fitting room Ranger was waiting with a second bag.

"Here," he said, and handed me a six-inch square piece of the same fabric as the dress. "The clerk said this would help you choose shoes and accessories without having to unpack the dress."

I was surprised and pleased, and turned to thank the woman. Her eyes were fixed dreamily on Ranger, though, but I couldn't blame her. He was smiling again.

Shoes were one floor down, and the whole space there made me feel like I was in some kind of Wonderland. Not only were there hundreds of shoes, there were glass 'bubbles' dangling from the ceiling in drifts, sparkling here and there with lights. Beautiful designer shoes were set out on white carpeted platforms and even the chairs were upholstered in soft white. This might be heaven...!

Ranger was chuckling again so I'd probably been gawking. He took my hand and led me toward the chairs as another young woman came to meet us.

"Good afternoon. How may I help you?" she said.

"I'm looking for shoes to go with a dress," I said, and held out the fabric sample.

"Oh," she exclaimed with a smile as she took the fabric. "I love this dress! I think I have several possibilities that might work. If you'd care to sit down I can bring them to you." She barely glanced down at my feet and said, "Size seven?"

I nodded. How do they do that?

I sat down and Ranger put the two bags and my jacket in the chair next to me. He settled onto a backless bench a few yards away and started typing on his phone - maybe checking in with Tank? Then the girl came back with a huge stack of boxes and my attention was diverted.

She brought gladiator sandals in antique gold, some black cutaway Mary Janes with bronze charms dangling from an ankle strap, and multiple pairs of pointy-toed, peep-toes, and classic pumps in black, deep brown, antique gold, and metallic bronze. Her eye for style and color was great, they all looked good with the fabric of the dress. She asked if I planned to go bare-legged or if I would be wearing stockings, then brought knee-highs for me to wear to try them all on.

The pointy-toed pumps pinched, and since one of the few things I knew was that Ranger looked forward to dancing that evening, they were out. All the others I tried on, walked back and forth in, and examined in the angled foot mirrors with my jeans rolled up to my knees. I finally narrowed it down to the classic pumps in antique gold or metallic bronze but couldn't choose between then. Ranger wasn't looking, he was still on his phone.

So I asked the clerk. "If it was you, which shoes would you pick?"

"Of all of these, or the two pumps?"

"Either," I said, grinning. "Or both."

She laughed and then gave the shoes a considering look. "I love the ones with the charms, but honestly - I think the best look would be the metallic bronze pumps. They look really good with your skin color and the fabric. And - just a moment, I think I know a clutch that would look really good with them, too."

In just a few moments she was back with two bags; a bronze leather clutch with antique gold flattened nail heads in a design, and a smaller wristlet bag of bronze metal disks lined with dark chocolate brown satin.

The clutch was pretty and did go well with the dress and pumps, but I fell in love with the little wristlet. It was just barely big enough for necessities - phone, ID, lipstick, and powder - and it would be easy to hang on to.

"You're good," I told her with a grin. "I love this!"

"Those just came in. They're so cute."

I laid the wristlet with the bronze pumps. "I'll take these."

Ranger sat down in the chair on the other side of my jacket, startling me a bit. "Don't forget shoes for the other dress, babe," he reminded me. "Shoes for dancing."

The clerk perked up again - I guess she liked a challenge. I bit my lip and tapped the cutaway Mary Janes. "Do these come in a neutral color? Bone, nude, taupe, something like that? The dress is just barely off-white, like eggshell."

"Those come in a couple of light colors, let me get them..." and she was back again in minutes with three boxes. There was a white with gold charms but they were _too_ white; the sand was too yellow and had gold charms; the last pair was pale, something between bone and nude and had silver charms. They were as close to perfect as I was likely to get.

I had planned to buy the shoes but Ranger had already taken care of it by the time I got my socks and boots back on. Arguing wouldn't do any good, I knew, so I just thanked him and put my jacket on. He let me carry the new bag and he kept the other two, took my hand and led me unerringly through the maze of the store and out a different door.

Snow was still falling, glittering in the street lights and the colorful lights from the windows and Christmas decorations. There was little accumulation as yet, most melting under the foot and street traffic. The air was cold but there wasn't much wind, and we were less than a block from the Palace. It wasn't a bad walk even in the rapidly-falling dark.

**-oOo-**

_TBC..._


	59. Chapter 59

_Disclaimer: You know the drill by now..._

**-oOo-**

_**Chapter 59**_

By the time we got up to the room, though, I was tired and getting hungry.

A hotel luggage cart had been placed just inside our room, neatly stacked with our purchases from earlier in the day. Ranger added the new bags then tugged me toward the sofa.

"Let's sit," he said, "and consider our options."

I dropped into the soft cushions without any argument. Ranger half-smiled then sat down next to me and pulled my feet into his lap. Without speaking, he tugged my boots off and began to knead my feet. His hands were warm and strong and it felt so good I almost cried.

"Oh god, Ranger, that's wonderful," I moaned, sliding sideways until my head hung over the sofa arm. "How did you know?"

"You've been on your feet almost all day and walked at least five miles."

"Umm."

"First option for the evening," he began. "We could rest a little and then go out to eat. There are lots of interesting places in the area and nearly every cuisine you can think of. Or if you want to save your strength for tomorrow's shopping, we could order delivery or room service and relax, maybe try out the tub..."

I had to choose? That was like deciding between pineapple upside-down cake or tiramisu! I groaned. "Both options sound really good."

"Whatever we skip tonight we can do tomorrow night, Babe. You just have to decide the order."

I let my head loll on the padded sofa arm for a few minutes, considering. I'd already worn the pretty blue dress Ella had packed and didn't have anything else cool to wear except the dresses I just bought. No...

"I think I'd like to stay in tonight," I said finally. "We could eat by the windows and watch it snow. But right this minute I want to just relax."

Ranger stood and scooped me into his arms. "We can do that," he said, and carried me toward the bed, setting me back on my feet next to it. I started to shrug off my coat and he took over, slipping it off my arms and tossing it onto one of the chairs. His own coat followed.

When he proceeded to undress me slowly, taking his time removing each garment, I began to get the idea that he had something other than just 'relaxing' in mind. Since he was stroking and kissing the skin he was exposing, by the time he laid me down on the mattress I was completely in tune with his plan.

"Relaxing" was not a term I would ever have used to describe lovemaking with Ranger but he proved it could be. There was no rush, no urgency. No one at the hotel was keeping track of our coming and going and we had days before we needed to be anywhere.

I drew Ranger down onto the bed with me. He let me undress him, let me take as much time as I wanted peeling away the dark layers. I enjoyed getting to return the slow kisses and strokes and nibbles, dragging my fingertips and lips across his warm skin. I especially enjoyed the hitches in his breathing when I found a particularly sensitive place.

Before I knew it I was sliding over him, nibbling on his chest, his neck, and the edge of his jaw...

"Babe, please," he whispered, his hands urging me further up his body and then I was sliding down over him. I groaned with pleasure; a sound he echoed.

I moved, slowly working my hips to take in all his hard length. Ranger's hands gripped my ass, moved to my hips, pulling me down tighter as he carefully thrust with my rhythm. His eyes gleamed though his lashes as he watched me move above him. After several long minutes he let his hands drift up to my breasts and played there, kneading and stroking. When he got around to rolling my nipples things started to get slippery between us and my inner muscles began to quiver.

He left one thumb to stroke a pebbled nipple and let the other slip back down between my legs to strum...

My back arched and my toes curled and everything in between tightened. I wanted more, more - I let myself fall forward and caught myself on Ranger's shoulders. I was gasping for air now, the need driving me to move, grind myself down. The thumb between us speeded, pressed harder.

I was losing control, my hips moving jerkily. Ranger made a harsh sound and flipped us, driving into me hard and _oh my god_ at **just** the right angle. My orgasm hit like slow-motion lightning, arcing through me with searing heat and electricity, and I exploded.

A few minutes passed before Ranger eased off me and pulled me into his arms. I didn't mind - I was so relaxed I didn't think I could move at all. I fell asleep with his thumb stroking back and forth on my hip.

-oOo-

I woke when Ranger moved. A quick glance at the clock told me I'd only slept about an hour but I felt really good - but a little lazy, still. I opened my eyes to watch Ranger pad into the bathroom, and then stretched. A soak in the whirlpool tub still sounded good but food was taking priority - I was starving.

When Ranger came back to the bedroom I was sitting up, wondering where the room-service menu might be.

"Are you okay, _meil_?"

"Um-hmm..." My answer was distracted as I enjoyed seeing him nude. He didn't often run around naked. "I'm hungry, though."

"What would you like to eat?"

I climbed off the bed to take my turn in the bathroom. "I don't care - you can pick, I'm hungry enough to eat just about anything." I heard Ranger's laugh as I shut the bathroom door and hoped I didn't end up regretting that.

When I wandered back out looking for something to put on, Ranger was on the room phone and holding my robe in his hands. He'd pulled on his workout pants but nothing else. I was admiring the way they fit, clinging lovingly to, um, _everything_ and didn't hear a word he said until after he hung up the receiver and waved the robe in front of me to get my attention.

"Food will be up in about 30 minutes," he said as he held the robe for me to slip into.

I made a little face even though I was facing away from him. I was starving now! In half an hour I might be chewing on Ranger's leg.

"There might be something in the bar to tide you over," he continued as he smoothed the robe over my shoulders, proving that he knew me pretty well. "Would you like a drink?"

Ranger told me he'd ordered wine with dinner so I didn't want anything alcoholic to drink now, and the nuts and fancy crackers didn't sound good either. Ranger found a blended fruit juice drink in the fridge and poured it over ice for both of us. I wandered over to see if there was anything on TV.

There were a staggering number of channels available. Several holiday movies were playing but they didn't appeal to me. Then I found an apparently live channel that showed the rink at Rockefeller Center. The music being played for the skaters was clear and soft, holiday-themed but not annoying. I left the TV on that channel for background sound and went to where Ranger was standing, looking out the window.

He tugged me in front of him and wrapped his arms around my waist. Outside the snow was still falling softly, the streets and sidewalks now sporting a white film marred by the black lines of tire tracks. There were probably footprints, too, but from fifty floors up they weren't really visible.

"I had a good time today," he said.

I was shocked. Had been a little surprise in his voice, too? "It was a wonderful day," I agreed. "We got a lot of our list done, too - but I think maybe the ones left are the harder ones to buy for."

I felt vibrations against my back and knew he was chuckling silently. "Kids are usually the easiest," he agreed. "I had a few more ideas, though."

I wiggled out of his arms and went digging for my notebook with the list. We sat on the sofa in a pool of light from a lamp and went over the list, making sure we checked off the ones we'd found gifts for and writing his new ideas down. Just a couple minutes after I put the notebook away someone knocked. Room service was here.

The bell-hop stared at Ranger's chiseled chest - she was female and breathing, it was a pretty spectacular chest, so I didn't hold it against her. She recovered quickly, though, and snapped back to her professional demeanor. The loaded cart was rolled in and she swiftly draped a white tablecloth over the table and set it. There were glasses and silverware and chargers for the plates, condiments, and even a small bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase. The wine sat in it's bucket of ice, and once she'd moved the plates onto the table she moved the bucket to the top shelf, along with a covered dish with an insulated ice-filled bottom.

Something smelled really good, and my stomach growled again. Ranger signed the tab and sent her off with a tip. I noticed she checked out his rear before the door shut, too. Cheeky girl.

Ranger opened the wine - a nice light white - and filled our glasses. We had beautifully grilled chicken, crispy roasted diced potatoes with some sort of cheese sauce drizzled over them, and steamed vegetables with butter. The salad was edamame and cheese, among other things, and was slightly spicy. It was all really good. Even the edamame.

Even though I was hungry I didn't rush eating. I was learning to enjoy my food more, thanks to Ranger and Ella, and even though I still ate and loved my comfort foods I was finding other foods I liked almost as much.

I moved the our empty covered plates onto the lower shelf of the cart when we were finished. At the moment I was too full for whatever lurked in the iced dish.

Ranger suggested it might be a good time for a bath and went to start the water. I stretched and finished the last of my glass of wine before I followed.

The lights in the bathroom were dimmed and music played softly from somewhere.

Ranger was naked again, sitting on the ledge of the tub with a remote in one hand. The tub was filling quickly despite it's size.

I pulled my hair up with a couple stretchy hair ties and let my robe slide off my shoulders, hanging it on a hook next to Ranger's pants. When I turned back around Ranger's eyes were on me.

"There's some bath stuff in the basket on the counter, babe," he said. "Pick anything you like."

I looked. The products were packaged for the hotel in heavy paper packets and were labeled with generic names. There was 'Relaxation' and 'Revive' and one that smelled menthol-y that was labeled 'Breathe'. The last one was labeled 'Sensuous'. I picked it up and gave it a curious sniff - it smelled herbal, sort of - so I took it over to the tub.

Ranger had shifted so that he had one foot on the floor and one in the tub, and was reaching down to trail his fingers though the water to check the temperature. He was displayed beautifully against the soft white and even though the tile had to be chilly he was half hard.

I tore the packet open and dumped the crystals beneath the running water. It took only a moment and the water swirled aqua and the scent drifted up, pleasant and not too strong. The wadded packet landed in the trash can nearby, and I used Ranger's shoulder to steady myself as I stepped carefully into the tub.

The water was just about perfect - not too hot, just warm enough to be comforting. It was nearly to the fill line for the jets, too. As I knelt in the water Ranger reached to press a button for a warmer that was supposed to keep the water from cooling, then pressed the button to turn on the jets. They came on with a soft hum and the water began to bubble.

Before Ranger could move again I got between his leg and the tub and reached for him, curling my fingers around the velvety skin. Even as his breath caught I felt him harden and I smiled.

**-oOo-**

_TBC..._

_*hiding under my desk*_


	60. Chapter 60

_A/N: I **intended** to get this put up for everyone for Christmas... but as usual I'm running behind! So maybe it's early for New Year's instead?_

_Disclaimer: The usual. I asked for Ranger for Christmas but got a car instead. (In a color called "Mocha Steel Metallic"! No joke!)_

-oOo-

_**Chapter 60**_

_"Babe,"_ he said, and it came out in a rush. It wasn't often I could take him by surprise.

As I kissed my way up his thigh toward my goal his hand gripped my shoulder gently. I didn't let it distract me; as I took him into my mouth I heard his breath shudder and a barely-breathed _'Steph'_. Then there was only the soft lights and music, the bubbling water, our breathing... and the occasional soft moan.

He let me play and have my way with him for long minutes, until he couldn't take any more. Then his fingers cupping my face, urging it upward as he leaned down to kiss me. The kiss continued as he slid with boneless grace into the water and drew me into his arms. The water that bubbled around us felt oddly tingly and I wondered if there was some sort of stimulant in the salts.

Ranger must have felt it, too. He let the tub fill until the water was high then stretched out, drawing me down with him. His hands teased and caressed and he urged me to touch him. I didn't need a second invitation.

With friction the tingle became warm, then icy-hot. It was crazy and arousing and by the time Ranger urged me onto him I was so turned on I felt like we might set the water itself on fire.

At least it wasn't just me that was affected. Ranger was half-laughing, half-growling.

"What the hell did you put in the water?"

"It was the bath salts," I gasped. "The ones marked 'sensuous'."

"We've got to take some home," he said.

"You don't have a tub," I pointed out.

"We'll get one," he breathed, then pulled me closer.

Water sloshed over the rim and splashed on the floor. Neither one of us paid any attention as we rode out yet another climax. Then we floated, sated, in the tingly water until we could catch our breath.

The water was still warm some time later but my fingers and toes were wrinkled. I got unsteadily to my feet with Ranger's help. He stood, too, and dropped a towel over the puddle on the floor. We stepped out carefully then took turns drying each other off as the water drained from the tub. Part of my hair had fallen down and was wet so I rubbed it with a towel - then I glanced in the mirror and decided I should take off the rest of my makeup. What little there was left, anyway.

When I finished in the bathroom I skipped my robe and headed for the bed with just a towel wrapped around me. Ranger, also in only a towel, had gone over to turn off the lights and the TV. On the way back by the room service cart he picked up the wine and the iced dessert dish.

We climbed onto the bed and settled ourselves. Ranger put the dish in between us and poured the last of the wine. He handed me my glass then removed the cover to reveal chocolate-dipped fresh strawberries. He fed me one and took one for himself.

"So, what should we shop for tomorrow?" he asked. "Or should I say whose gifts?"

I looked around for my notebook and he handed it to me. Flipping it open, I turned it towards him so he could look at the list, too.

"Is there anything left on the ideas list that we can't find at one of the big stores like Macy's?" I asked. "I think that might be our best bet - one big store where we can find lots of things instead of specialty stores. The specialty places are great and lots of fun, but with this much left to shop for it's not practical."

Skimming down through the list Ranger nodded in agreement. "Good point, Babe. We might have to look elsewhere for a few things but most we can do at Macy's." He looked up at me with a slight smile. "Don't forget that you need new outfits for Christmas and New Year's, too."

"That reminds me," I said, choosing a strawberry and trying to be casually offhand, "how does your family dress for Christmas Eve and church?"

Of course Ranger saw through me. "Stephanie, my family is not that different from yours except for there are more of them, and some of them speak Spanish part of the time. You've met Celia, Sam, and _Aubela_ Rosa and you got along with them. Celia's the most difficult to get along with, usually, so you be fine. The rest of us are pretty average and easygoing."

I didn't really think Ranger could be considered 'average' compared to anything or anyone, but I kept quiet and he continued. "When all of us are together the kids get loud and crazy but you don't have anything to worry about. No one will expect you to remember all the names or be perfect. And I won't leave you alone to fend for yourself."

Maybe I still looked a little worried. Ranger moved the almost-empty dish to the nightstand and repeated the process with our glasses. Then he kissed me gently. "I promise, Babe," he whispered against my mouth and kissed me again. We slid down onto the pillows, losing the towels somewhere along the way, then I was curled in Ranger's arms as he kissed and caressed me. It wasn't a prelude to sex - speaking for myself I was sated to the point of exhaustion - it was just tender and loving reassurance.

Gradually the kisses and caresses dwindled into just being curled close. My head was pillowed on Ranger's chest where his heartbeat was lulling me to sleep. After a bit I realized I could hear something other than Ranger's heartbeat and realized we'd left the music on in the bathroom. I couldn't bring myself to care enough to mention it or get up, though, and just drifted off to sleep.

-oOo-

The next day we didn't get quite as early a start. We skipped the room service breakfast and went to a fantastic little bakery instead, where I indulged in a mini-sampling of their donut specials while Ranger opted for some sort of fruit and bran muffin thing. I had coffee and he had hot green tea, and we set out for Macys with the master list.

Once again Ranger had hired a courier, who followed us and carried bags until there was a lull, then he hauled them to his van. We shopped for the Merry Men first - because they were mostly easier. Then we came across some women's robes similar to my cloud-soft one - not quite as nice - and found appropriate sizes and colors for his mother, my mother, and our grandmothers. After second thought we added them for his sisters and Valerie, too - and I got one each for Mary Lou, Lula, and Connie.

After a bit Ranger looked at his watch. "Maybe we should split up for an hour? I have a few ideas for my brother and dad, and I know you still have things you want to get for friends and family. There's a fast-food place on the seventh floor; we could meet there and sit down long enough to have a drink and rest, then shop some more until we're ready for lunch. After that I think maybe we should try Bloomingdales."

I thought about it. It was probably a good idea - I didn't know his brother and dad so I couldn't help there, and I had fairly specific things in mind for my friends and family. "Okay, I think you're right. That's a good idea. Seventh floor has fast food?"

Ranger's grin flashed and someone behind me accidentally knocked over a display of rolled yoga mats. "Yes, Babe - I think it's a McDonalds. One hour. Jeremy will stay with you," he said, indicating the bag-toting courier who acknowledged the instruction with a nod. "Oh, and use this." He handed me a sapphire-blue credit card with a tiny Visa logo and my name on it. He was gone before I could form any coherent words.

I stood there and stared at the card. It wasn't like the black RangeMan credit card he'd given me a while back for work-related 'distraction outfits' or other work-related emergencies. It had my name on it! He'd deliberately timed that exit, too, I was sure.

Well, I shrugged. If he wanted me to use it, I would. The worst that could happen would be that I'd be paying it off over time but even that didn't daunt me. My bank account was doing pretty darn well lately.

I paid for the robes and sent Jeremy off to stash the bags, telling him I'd be in the Juniors section next. When he came back I'd found a cool book bag for Julia and some fashionable jeans and shirts for Angie. I found wild-horse designs on t-shirts and a book bag for Mary Alice, and a messenger bag for Angie.

A set of the trendy new colors of nail polish with a manicure kit and wonder-lotion for Connie. A purse she'd drooled over and a beautiful sweater jacket for Mary Lou. Some bold earrings for Lula...and I was hoping to find other things for her at Bloomingdales because there was little here that called her name.

The next thing I knew Jeremy was politely clearing his throat at my elbow. "Excuse me, ma'am, but it's been almost an hour since Mr. Manoso said he'd meet you on the seventh floor."

He was right! I flashed him a smile and headed for the nearest clerk. She worked quickly to scan all the items, then I swiped the blue card and signed for it. Jeremy said he'd wait for the items to be bagged and take them out to the van so I wouldn't be late, and I headed for the nearest elevator.

The McDonalds on the seventh floor was the nicest one I'd ever been in! Ranger was already at a little table with drinks, waiting patiently. As soon as I arrived he signaled someone behind the counter and a young girl brought out a tray with fresh fries on it. The fries were for me but her eyes were glued to Ranger, who smiled at her and dropped a tip on the tray. I hope she realized the cash was there later because I don't think she even noticed. Somehow she made it back to the employee door without tripping or even once looking where she was going.

I just shook my head and thanked him for the fries.

Over our drinks we updated the list, checking off names and I tried to write next to them what we'd gotten, just in case I forgot. Ranger stole a few of my fries. And I tried to chide him about the new credit card.

"You have a very generous heart, Babe; it's one of the many things I love about you. Providing the means for you to give makes me happy and lets me feel as if I'm a part of it, too."

-oOo-

_TBC..._


End file.
